Kismet
by Painted Ys
Summary: Innocent Sasuke is a stranger to love, has never fought against an S-rank criminal before nor doomed an entire village. And he has certainly never met a devious, blonde assassin looking for his Bonded. But poor Sasuke will be ignorant no more. NaruSasu
1. Decisive

Let me make this clear before I start: Yes, this is a **yaoi** fiction! If _someone_ is forcing you to read my story, please contact your local police immediately. If _something_ is forcing you to read my story, please see a therapist.

To the rest of you: I hope you enjoy!

**Warnings (applies to the entire story):** Language, OOC, AU, Lemon/Lime, Typos & Grammar, Not beta-read

**Warnings (applies to this chapter only):** dub-con

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Naruto or its characters. I do not get any profit from this. It's as simple as that really. I do, however, own anything you don't recognise (which won't be much).

**Notes:** I would like to point out my Alternate Universe warning because this really is completely A/U. Sasuke and Naruto will be 19-20 years old, although I am not bothering to change their outfits. The greatest difference in this story is perhaps that Sasuke has the mentality of a sheltered prince (but he grows up quickly) and half of the Konoha ninjas don't even live in Konoha, including Naruto. And what on earth is chakra...? Yeah, it's that bad. No fancy fighting moves, sorry. There will be 'magic' of some sorts, but it won't be offensive. So consider yourself warned.

I was going to make this really clichéd I-have-a-mate-let's-run-away kind of story because I love those (I will proudly admit that), but it actually ended up as a multi-chaptered story with an actual plot that does not focus on the more physical aspects of a relationship. It wasn't supposed to be nearly as long either, and this is only the first chapter. I continue to surprise myself.

I'm afraid Sasuke is no longer suffering from his unpredictable uke-moments. Now he's just being a general uke, and we love him for it.

'_Thoughts'_

**Emphasis on a word**

_The word can be found in the dictionary on the bottom of this page_

* * *

_**Chapter 1: Decisive (determined/unmistakable)**_

Uchiha Sasuke was itching.

Itching to run like hell.

He was on his way home after spending a few hours on the training grounds on the outskirts of Konoha.

Woods, planted there to take the brunt of the training sessions that went wrong, surrounded the open training area. Sasuke had long ago made his own path through the woods that passed a smaller river of perfect depth for a cleansing bath to wash away the sweat and tiredness. He also happened to like the solitude it brought. The itching had suddenly hit him when he had finished cleaning himself and continued to follow the usual path home. It wasn't even a justified feeling. It was simply a hunch, like a small voice whispering in his mind to just run now so he could escape from... something. Sasuke just didn't know what it was yet. And since he wasn't a coward, he would much rather face whatever animosity was waiting for him out there than to forever wonder what it was he had run away from.

Sasuke was just bothered with the feeling of being stalked. He had honed this sense of self-preservation over the years and now knew that when his warning bells went off, they did so for a reason. The young prodigy wasn't particularly paranoid, but he had an amazing gut instinct that warned him when something dangerous was nearing. His hands rested on his utility belt, already feeling safer when he had easy access to his weapons.

Now, if that something could just reveal itself from the shadows so Sasuke could kick its ass and then be at ease. This was probably exactly why Itachi didn't want him walking around alone. On the other hand, his _aniki_ was worried about rapists and Sasuke seriously doubted one was following him. Then again, he was being followed by something, and with his luck it could very well be a rapist.

It was a dilemma really. Confront it or not confront it? Was it even a bad guy? The possibilities were endless, and Sasuke blamed a lot of the suspicion on his brother. His brother had a thing for overanalyzing everything, especially situations regarding his baby brother.

Well, enough of this foolishness.

Turning around, Sasuke crouched low, prepared for anything. He stayed completely still, waiting for whatever was out there to come to him. He had already decided to keep calm and just wait for this thing to reveal itself, carefully analyse the situation and then either a) run like hell, or b) kill it. He had this take-no-prisoners mentality from his big brother. Now that Sasuke thought about it, he realised they seemed to influence each other a lot.

The sudden shadow was so distant at first, a mere outline in the darkness. Then it started walking, drawing closer. And Sasuke, no matter what he told himself, started to get a wee bit anxious. Whatever it was approaching him, looked human and was walking on two feet. Now, don't get him wrong, Sasuke was glad he wouldn't be dealing with a crazed freak on three legs or more, but when it had two he was quickly reminded of the potential rapist. It was like waiting for the lesser of two evils and Sasuke still couldn't decide what he preferred.

"Oi, you there," a voice called, and Sasuke dropped his defensive position in favour of looking rather offended at the approaching figure. Not many people took such liberties with him, Uchiha Sasuke, because those who knew him didn't dare... So he could now conclude that this wasn't any local person. And it was a fact that made this twice as dangerous since now he didn't have his name to throw around. Most people would be horrified if they ever realised they had insulted the youngest son of the Uchiha clan and run. This guy probably wouldn't be that intimidated.

Konoha was kept under strict control by two clans, the Hyuga family and the Uchiha family. The two clans got along well enough, but Uchiha Sasuke's good friendship with Hyuga Neji was still legendary. Sasuke thought it was not all that surprising that they acknowledged each other to a greater degree than they did most others, they were both formidable opponents, but apparently this was quite the gossip in Konoha. Sasuke just let them talk.

The blurred outline had been replaced by something alarmingly orange, and Sasuke could not help but shudder at the tacky colour. Bloody hell, the guy had to be blind if he didn't realise the extent of his exposure. It was not exactly subtle. The guy was a walking target. He was perfectly visible, even in the dead of night. That ruled out the possibility of an ambush, which left Sasuke quite baffled, no longer sure what to believe.

"You, get down on all fours." The person had stopped walking, and had it not been for the screaming orange-coloured outfit and the blonde tufts, the mysterious person still would have been shrouded in complete darkness. This told Sasuke that this guy was really not up to date with the rest of the world.

But that didn't really matter because he had a much more pressuring issue to take care of. "Excuse me?" Sasuke said with strained politeness, giving the guy one last chance to back out of trouble and turn tail. Whoever it was didn't get it and instead crossed his arms over his chest, drumming the fingers on his left hand impatiently. "I told you to bend over," he repeated and Sasuke glared.

"I heard you the first time! I'm just ignoring what you said," came the indignant reply as Sasuke stomped his foot in rage. The freaking nerve of this guy! He didn't like him at all. "And why shouldn't I? I'll have you know that not even my father bosses me around like you are trying to do," he continued gravely.

"You should do as I say because I am your master, _teme_." The reply was blunt and right to the point. Not that it mattered because Sasuke knew it was nothing but bullshit, and made a number of proving his point by upping his death glare another level.

"I'm not joking." The weirdo argued insistently and Sasuke raised a single eyebrow to convey his obvious distrust. The blonde seemed to be at a loss now.

"What makes you think I would crawl in the dirt for you?" Sasuke continued his inquiries.

"You don't know?" The blonde seemed surprised, and Sasuke cocked his head curiously in response. He was supposed to know? Because he certainly didn't have a clue! But he assumed he could always ask his brother later if the blonde refused to give him an adequate answer. "Know what?" Sasuke tilted his head in wonder.

"You're that ignorant?" The blonde seemed smug now, and the youngest Uchiha's right eyebrow started twitching spastically.

"Say what?"

"Fine, if you don't even know what it is, I guess I can't really ask it from you." The blonde pondered loudly, tapping his bottom lip with his index finger as he donned a thoughtful expression. Sasuke cocked his head. "Ask what from me?" he demanded. He didn't like it, but he was a teensy weensy bit curious.

"Ask you to bond with me."

Sasuke frowned. "I can do that," he corrected as the blonde visibly swallowed a laugh. "You can't be my Bonded," he denied, turning to leave.

"Can too." Sasuke argued and the orange-clad person looked at him over his shoulder. "Well, you won't," was the brisk reply.

"I will," Sasuke insisted stubbornly.

The blonde raised an eyebrow, assessing him in silence for a good couple of minutes. "Naruto," he said finally. Sasuke blinked. "That's my name, Naruto. What's yours?"

"Sasuke..."

"Well then, **Sasuke**, since you're so sure about this, come here." Naruto ordered and the youngest Uchiha slowly inched forward. He was hesitant, but reluctant to show it. Not that he would ever admit that and run away. Naruto held out a hand, patiently waiting for him to take it. When Sasuke did, they simply stood there, not really doing anything. And Sasuke wondered what would happen next.

Naruto used the hold on Sasuke's hand to push him closer to himself, relishing the feel of the warm, lithe body against his own. It had been a long time since he had been physical with anyone, and the intoxicating scent of the black hair currently pressed against his face made him look forward to the more intimate part of the bonding process.

"Hey," Sasuke interrupted nervously, listening to the blonde as he took deep breaths while buried in his hair, "you're not going to bite my neck, are you?" he whispered anxiously. Naruto chuckled, thrown off for a second as he lifted his head to stare down at the young man in his embrace. "No, we don't do that kind of vampire shit," he assured him warmly, and Sasuke was slightly relieved. Itachi would never know if there was no evidence.

"Let me kiss you." It was a demand. And when Sasuke failed to respond after the second repeat of his question, Naruto simply tilted his chin with two fingers and bent down to capture rosy lips. He couldn't quite comprehend that Sasuke was slightly smaller than him, but instead of an attitude to match, his Bonded was like a predator in the body of a prey.

Sasuke was enticing. He also knew he was rather lucky with his mate's competitive attitude. Sasuke had played right into his arms when he had taunted him, provoked him by telling him that he wasn't good enough. The raven-haired man had a thirst to prove himself, and it would be his undoing. Not that Naruto cared. Sasuke's need for achievements, no matter how farfetched, was Naruto's redemption on a silver platter. Unexpected people and situations could easily fool the smaller male, and Naruto was one of those things.

Naruto trailed a wet path down the pale neck, leaving tender marks with his tongue. Sasuke didn't know what to do. Was he even supposed to react? He was gently guided down onto the ground and he had to swallow several times to remove the sudden thickness in his throat. He didn't feel outright uncomfortable in this situation, but it wasn't exactly something he'd like a repeat of in the near future.

Wasn't all this becoming very rapist-ish?

Naruto continued his caresses as he turned Sasuke around to lie on his stomach. He slid an inconspicuous hand on a thigh, eyeing the reaction of his unsuspecting mate. Sasuke took no notice. He was too caught up with the tufts of grass tickling his nose. Spluttering a little, Sasuke craned his neck to catch a glimpse of the blonde. Naruto was doing something, but he just couldn't tell what it was. It was only when his legs were suddenly caressed by a warm breeze, Sasuke realised he was exposed and vulnerable with some orange-clad freak-o pinning him down. Somehow his pants had been pulled partially down, resting at his knees.

"What are you doing?" Sasuke muttered, straining to keep his head above the ground.

"I'm doing what **you** asked me to do," was the instant reply, and Sasuke squirmed against the warm body above him.

"I hate to ask this now, but what did I ask you to do again?"

"You threatened me to take you."

Sasuke froze. Take him? Take him **how**? It was only when clam hands started stroking the inside of his cloth-covered thigh that Sasuke began to see the picture for what it truly was. Sex. **Between** guys. And that would also be about the same time when Sasuke dug his fingers into the ground to push himself up and away. Unfortunately for Sasuke, Naruto was no longer in his patient corner and simply leaned forwards to make himself heavier.

With a surprised 'oomph', Sasuke was pushed even harder to the ground with his left cheek digging into the sharpest stone within a two-mile range. Where the hell was that grass patch when he needed it? He felt the stone pierce the skin and a drop of blood trickled from the small cut.

The blood did something.

Not to Sasuke, but to him, Naruto. He started growling. Growling as he was nipping Sasuke's neck with surprisingly pointed teeth. And that was when Sasuke realised that he was in real trouble. Not that it mattered if he fought or not. Naruto didn't seem to take any notice. It was a bit of a bother, now that he thought about it. A slow burning panic rose from his chest as Sasuke realised that he couldn't get away. He became terrified when he also realised that he wasn't really trying. The odds were stacked against him, but he should still be able to give Naruto a run for his money. He could always do some thrashing, or maybe put up some resistance by kicking Naruto's shins. Now, if he could just manage to bloody turn around to face his freaking assaulter...

"N- Naruto... Hngh" A sharp nip to the neck was his only reply.

Sasuke couldn't help but notice the primitive reactions to his objections. Something was definitively off. He didn't care how inexperienced he was. This just wasn't right. An arm snaked around his waist and hoisted him up to rest his weight on his knees. Suddenly, he felt cold. Not inside, as a sense of foreboding, he was past that chilling stage of fear. No, he was **cold**. Blinking slowly, he realised something really disconcerting. From his waist and down, Sasuke was completely bare. And it wasn't in an in-your-underwear-and-embarrassed kind of way, but downright nude, as in naked.

No wonder it was chilly all of a sudden.

An eager hand glided over his thigh as gentle fingers were wrapped around his length. Sasuke opened his mouth in a silent gasp, but stubbornly refused to moan, despite the wicked pleasure. He had to admit, what he was going through now wasn't exactly how he had imagined a rape. He always thought it would be more brutal. This, on the other hand, was rather nice, in a very intrusive way. _'Still wrong, Sasuke, still very wrong,'_ he chided himself.

Sasuke was **tense**. It's not that he found himself doubting the other man and his good intentions, oh no, it was just the general intentions he was concerned about. What exactly would happen now? He had no freaking idea!

His response came when he realised he was being... stretched? It was done gently, mind you, but it was still... down there. Sasuke found it uncomfortable and squirmed under the touch, but Naruto didn't stop his unmerciful administrations and soon had Sasuke panting again. Sasuke tried to ignore his own reactions as much as possible, but he couldn't deny the feeling of desperation that clenched around his heart when he felt his body respond.

First now, Sasuke realised he was screwed… or in the process of being screwed.

It really didn't matter right now.

Sasuke couldn't even say if he were mad or just downright scared. But when the man above him started rocking against him ever so slightly, Sasuke had to admit he was frightened to the bone. Still, it didn't stop the occasional moan from escaping his lips and he blushed harder every time a kiss was placed on his neck. It was pleasantly weird, but the lips worked wonders on his nerves, and Sasuke, without even realising, had stopped clenching the muddy dirt with his broken nails and stiff fingers.

He was beside himself.

No longer aware of his surroundings, just knowing he was experiencing the most pleasurable act in the world with a man he didn't know. The thought was not comforting in the least, but the feeling of tranquillity was what really filled him with a sense of foreboding. Sasuke knew he should have been scared out of his wits, but instead it was like a haze of nothingness. He never would have guessed he was so sensitive to another man's touch, and the thought left him slightly miffed. This skilful hand was doing wonders to his body and it was turning his previously harsh pants into begging moans.

Sasuke had heard a lot about sex, but had never done the deed before. He was pretty certain though, that no one had ever mentioned the acute feeling of tiredness that suddenly overcame him. He had the sudden urge to go to sleep before he had even experienced his first release. What an embarrassment that would be! Seriously, he did have some dignity left, did he not? Yes! Hell yes, he did. Sasuke was ripped out from his thoughts when Naruto bent down to Sasuke's ear, his pants as heavy as his own laboured breath, and whispered his name in a deceptively soft voice.

It was Sasuke's undoing as his world went white with wonderful emotions. Somewhere above him through the haze, he could feel the blonde nuzzle his neck, his pace quickened but no less tender. Content and completely satiated, Sasuke allowed himself to slip into oblivion, no longer able to stay awake.

Sasuke never noticed when Naruto lowered himself to the ground to regain his breath. He never stirred when the blonde cleaned them both off. He never woke when Naruto put on his pants again and lifted him up in his arms. He never felt the tender kiss placed on his forehead. And he most certainly did not hear the promise of protection and love whispered into his ear as the blonde walked away from Konoha, still with a precious bundle of Uchiha Sasuke treasured in his arms.

* * *

Sasuke scrunched his nose in a way that most would find endearing. He could tell something wasn't right, and with some effort he managed to force an eye open. He was lying down on a futon, but he was not in a room he recognised. Squinting, he took in his unfamiliar surroundings. Like a shot, he was in a sitting position, grimacing at the sharp pain that spread up his spine. A certain orange-clad blonde appeared beside him, hair tousled from sleep and with bleary eyes he sat up to grin at Sasuke contently. Sasuke assessed him with an air of scepticism. If his memories served him right, that guy right there, who sat beside him so indifferently had just...

"You fucked me up!" the youngest Uchiha accused without remorse. Naruto took on a scandalised look and quickly raised his hands in a conciliatory gesture.

"I did no such thing. I fucked you, not fucked you up. There's a major difference here," he argued, looking offended. Sasuke huffed and threw away the covers.

"I can't believe you," he muttered, loud enough for the blonde to hear, but not expecting him to reply. He stood up and trudged across the room, willing away the slight ache between his legs. All the time he could feel Naruto's eyes boring into his neck. Was Naruto mad at him for regretting this? It didn't matter. Sasuke couldn't be blamed for it. He was inexperienced in the art of romantic relationships.

Was it even a bloody art?

Even that didn't matter. How could Sasuke possibly expect to be assaulted by a man whose only interest was in his behind? Seriously, how unlucky could a man get? How could he have prepared himself for such a cunning man as the blonde in front of him? The man had used Sasuke's own non-existent sexual knowledge against him. How could he have defended himself against something he hadn't even perceived as a threat until the man had already pulled down his pants?

Sasuke was furious. He was leaving this place, the sooner the better.

"Where are you going?"

"Outside. Or am I supposed to stay here, ready at your beck and call?"

"Don't be silly. I just don't want you going out alone." Naruto corrected him gently in hopes of calming down the enraged Uchiha and keeping him indoors. "Everyone knows who you are already," he added moodily.

"How so?"

"This village is full of assassins. I am pretty infamous here." Naruto snarled and his eyes narrowed. Sasuke snorted at his answer as he surveyed the small space a second time. "I always thought assassins cashed in great," he commented absently as he stared at the dirty wooden table and its two run-down chairs placed in one corner of the room. This couldn't be even called a flat, it was more like a tiny cottage, and even that was polite.

Naruto's home consisted of two rooms, which was used as a bedroom, kitchen, living room and study combined. The main room had two doors; one led to what he assumed was outside, while the other door was open and connected to a small bathroom. It was clean and tidy, but the space was certainly limited and the furniture dilapidated by use.

"We do, but everything we earn goes to the village. I only get back ten percent of my earnings."

"That's called fraud." Sasuke objected haughtily.

Naruto shrugged. "That's the way it has always been for me," he replied in a low voice and Sasuke felt a little sorry for him. Not much, but a little. He wasn't particularly interested in upholding law and justice, but he considered himself a fair person. And if he were faced with others' harsh conditions, he couldn't help but bristle on their behalf.

"Just you? How much do the others get back then?"

"I don't know, at least fifty percent." Naruto shrugged dismissively and Sasuke scowled. That was a huge difference and he wondered why Naruto received such poor treatment compared to his other colleagues. Surely he couldn't be such a terrible assassin. He would have to dig his heels in on the matter at a later date.

"I'm still going outside." Sasuke concluded as he opened what he thought was the entrance door.

He was met with pink; bright pink.

Lowering his eyes, he found himself face to face with a young woman about his age. Even her outfit was mainly pink and Sasuke had to avert his eyes for a second, just to take in another colour as he strained to erase the pink spots that dotted his vision whenever he blinked.

"So it's true? You took on a mate?" the woman whispered, eyes searching for Naruto. When Naruto nodded she turned back to Sasuke. She scrutinised his face before her gaze travelled down his body, taking in his appearance with a slight frown. "Well, he is pretty," she drawled, "but not really your type, is he?"

Naruto huffed as he slid an arm around Sasuke's waist to pull him away from the door. "He's my mate regardless. Nothing can change that now," he concluded, his tone conveying the end of topic. Sakura wasn't going to argue against her best friend's choices and simply smiled warmly in response. She introduced herself politely before she opted to take the conversation in a different direction. "Kakashi is out patrolling the northern borders, we will be his reinforcement should it be necessary," she informed, eyeing the black-haired man's reaction to the blonde's orders.

A raised eyebrow was the only reaction she got. Naruto on the other hand was much more obvious in his surprise. His eyebrows knitted together as his hold around the waist tightened slightly. "Tsunade has already prepared for reinforcements? Is she expecting trouble?"

"Everyone in the village knows you kidnapped the youngest son of the Uchiha main branch," Sakura bobbed her head in Sasuke's direction. "As far as I know, a small search party under the oldest brother's command is already out looking for him." Sakura paused to stare at Naruto with clear disapproval. "If they discover our village, you know there will be repercussions."

"We're in the mountains, a good few miles from Tanzaku Gai. It takes at least three days to reach this village from Konoha, and that's if you know its location to begin with." Naruto argued; looking decidedly bored as if this was something he had heard often enough before.

"If Konoha ninjas intrude on our land, we will have to act."

"It's not difficult to enter the village territory. It's not my fault we have claimed such a vast area that exceeds the village itself by a good mile." Naruto pointed out with an exasperated eye roll. "A complete waste if you ask me," he added with a huff.

"Naruto brought me here overnight. Why would everyone else use days?" Sasuke interrupted. Both Sakura and Naruto stopped their conversation to look at him, before Sakura gave the blonde what looked like an accusing scowl. Sasuke didn't know what it was, but Naruto had apparently forgotten to inform him of something important, and thus he automatically put on a similar expression to that Sakura had taken.

"Actually, you've been out of it for a while. The bond takes a lot of energy to manifest. Since it affects the submissive more than the dominant, the submissive is always resting for a couple of days so his or her energy level can stabilise itself." Naruto scratched his hair awkwardly as he laughed off his little error. Sasuke, on the other hand, was enraged. This piece of information was imperative for his future escape plans. If days had already gone by, Itachi would most definitely be on his trail and already heading his way, and if he were clever, Sasuke could surely slip away and meet up with him.

This just proved, however, that his first impression of Naruto had been right from the very start. He had every right to dislike him after everything that had been done to him. Naruto was something utterly repulsive, like a worm that slithered and twisted on the ground after rainy weather. He was so horrifyingly disturbed he could probably make any warrior loose his courage with a single look. And if that didn't work he would most likely try and pull down their pants. Naruto was... he was... he was a...

"Dobe."

"Pardon?"

"That's what you are. A dobe." Sasuke repeated hotly as he stared Naruto down. Sakura had the decency to stifle her giggle behind the blonde's back. Naruto's eye twitched as he digested the obvious insult. Now, Sasuke didn't truly believe his hurtful words would have any lasting effect on the blonde, but he had hoped for a bigger reaction than a resigned headshake.

Unfortunately, it was all he got.

* * *

Itachi was beyond himself with worry for his _otouto_. Even their father, Fugaku, had voiced his concern for his youngest son's health when he realised Sasuke was missing. The memory made Itachi shudder and reminded him of the severity of this situation. He squatted down to study the ground; to find clues as to where his little brother could be. Their mission was to retrieve Sasuke, and to kill the ones responsible for his abduction. Shisui and Iruka came up beside him to examine the same patch of dirt that he had been studying meticulously for the past few seconds.

When Sasuke hadn't returned home the next morning after he went to train, Itachi had gone to look for him. There weren't many clues to go by, but Itachi knew which trail his little brother preferred to follow home from the training grounds. He and Shisui had backtracked the way, and a sudden pair of footprints in the dirt proved that Sasuke had met his kidnapper head on. Sasuke's trail and his kidnapper's trail met head on in an area where a scuffle of sorts had obviously taken place. Itachi couldn't tell what exactly had transpired between the two, but he knew it was not something he would approve of. Afterwards, only one had walked away. And judging by the size and depth of the footprints, that person was not Sasuke. The prints were bigger than Sasuke's, and the person who had taken his brother had made deeper prints in the dirt from the added weight of having Sasuke in his arms when he had walked away.

Itachi had been livid.

He still was.

"Are we on the right path?" Iruka inquired, trying to decipher the marks in the dirt so it made sense. Normally on missions, Itachi would take some time to stop and explain to Iruka what he could read from the things he observed, since Iruka wasn't a particularly good tracker, but right now they were in a hurry. Itachi could tell Iruka knew he was high-strung when he didn't ask questions about the trail they followed like he would usually do. He knew he should apologise for his frosty behaviour, but couldn't find himself to really bother with his _otouto_ missing.

Itachi just nodded as he got up and continued running. They had been going at it for two days already with only a couple of hours rest every night. The time it took had resulted in Itachi's behaviour becoming even more laconic than usual, but neither Shisui nor Iruka were insulted by his sudden aloofness. They were quite eager to save Sasuke themselves and didn't bother with the leisurely pace they usually kept. They made an excellent team together, and the knowledge that they would always complete the mission let them effortlessly follow their target, like predators stalking prey. Making haste had never been much of a necessity, until now.

While Itachi was considered the leader of their little group, as his skills were quite diverse, it soon became obvious to Konoha that the two others could hold their own perfectly well alone. Iruka might not be a good tracker, but he was excellent when it came to close- and mid-range combats. Shisui wasn't comfortable with direct fights, but he excelled in using pure wit and agility. He was a master tactician. Together, they were an unstoppable force.

Itachi and Shisui were related and grew up together. It didn't come as a surprise that they got along so well, but no one really understood where Iruka fit into it all as the Uchihas were known for being rather secluded. There was a rumour in Konoha though, that said Iruka befriended the two when his parents were killed on a mission to Earth Country. Some believed that it was with their help he was able to extract revenge. Iruka had never confirmed nor denied those suspicions, and had simply let people believe what they wanted.

Itachi stopped abruptly. "These tracks are still heading south. Hopefully, they haven't ventured into the mountains. Not even we know our way around there," he muttered to himself more than he was informing the others. Iruka frowned. He had heard of the mountains in the south of Fire Country. They were notorious for being deadly with their unpredictable and violent weather, and Iruka would have liked to avoid stepping foot there. Exchanging a glance with Shisui, Iruka could easily tell that his friend shared his view regarding the mountains.

It didn't matter either way what they thought. Itachi would follow his little brother to the end of the world if he had to. And Iruka and Shisui would follow him no matter where these tracks led them. They wouldn't turn around now. If push came to shove and Sasuke really was in the mountains somewhere, well, so would they be.

* * *

"How can they see we are bonded?" Sasuke asked curiously as Naruto lead him down the main street of the village. The village consisted of one main street that had the basic shops and offices. Smaller paths led away from the main street and to the private residences of the locals. The village was surprisingly green. Sasuke had assumed that since it was hidden high up in the mountains, greenery would have trouble growing, but apparently he had been sorely mistaken. The village even had its own park; a wide space full of lush grass, proud trees and blooming flowers. In the middle of it was a shallow pond where the children could play on hot days. Sasuke was impressed by the obvious effort it must have taken to create and maintain such a lovely playground for the children.

"People here can feel it more than they see it. It's hard to explain really. If I happen to meet someone who is bonded, I just know. We believe it has something to do with the energy that becomes intertwined when the couple has sex for the first time." Naruto paused to drink in the pretty blush that spread across the cheeks of his loved one. "As you can see, someone here also wears wedding rings too, when they're not out on missions." Naruto pointed at a young redheaded woman admiring a beautiful flower decoration across the street. A gold band on her ring finger glimmered softly in the sunlight. Sasuke stared at it, tilting his head as if to gain a better view. It looked ordinary, very much like something the married people would wear in Konoha. He didn't know why, but since this was a village full of assassins, Sasuke expected things to be a lot more... abnormal.

Naruto took his hand in his and continued down the street. They walked for a while in silence, both apparently deep in thought.

Sasuke wondered whether he would ever receive a gift from Naruto. Now, don't get him wrong, he wasn't ungrateful or anything. The young man knew Naruto didn't have a lot of money, but he still thought he would perhaps be given something as proof of their bonding. Sasuke gave himself a mental scolding. Why should he be bothered with such thoughts? He wasn't really planning on staying for long anyway. No, his main objective was to find a way out of this village, and to do that he would have to become familiar with the village itself first. That was his one and only mission.

A flash of silver caught his attention and he stopped by a weaponry shop to peek inside the windows. Naruto moved up beside him as Sasuke appreciated a pair of beautifully made kunai displayed in its own glass case by the counter. Even from afar, Sasuke could see how the weapons were perfectly balanced, and if he squinted he was able to tell that etched into the very blade of both kunai were intricate silver patterns. It was a beautiful pair of weapon.

Sasuke sighed. This was another thing he shouldn't bother with. He should be paying full attention to Naruto and his explanations of how things were run in this village. "Do you have a map of this place?" Sasuke questioned airily, trying not to appear too interested in the answer as he turned away from the window and continued to walk down the street with an air of indifference.

"No, it's not needed when we know our territory by heart. This village, we call it _Tsuyu_, which is another name for the monsoon season, is hidden well by surrounding mountains. And we want it to remain that way. Our greatest protection is the Airi Mountains, a mountain range that stretches for about five miles and acts as a barrier between us and other populated places, mainly Konoha." Naruto stopped to pick up a stick and proceeded to draw an explanatory map in the dirt for him. "The Airi mountain range is located north of this village, and the safest way out of here is by following well-hidden mountain trails that only the locals know of. True, there is a mountain passage that faces south, and leads to the sea," Naruto admitted, "but it's dangerous to use it with all the storms coming in over our village through the passage from the sea."

Sasuke frowned. Did Naruto tell the truth or did he try to discourage any escape attempts on his part? However, he never had the chance to continue his probing when something bumped into him from behind. Taking a step forwards to steady himself, Sasuke turned his head to look over his shoulder. On the ground sat a little girl with tearful eyes as she eyed her left pinkie with a trembling lower lip. On closer inspection, Sasuke saw a cut that stretched across the small digit and watched as small droplets of blood trickled down the finger.

Sasuke paled and quickly turned to Naruto. He wouldn't attack an innocent kid, would he? Naruto eyed the little one calmly before he bent down to help her up on her feet. She looked even more frightened as her eyes darted between Sasuke and Naruto. Naruto paid her no mind as he absently brushed her dirtied clothes before he took her hand and entered the small apothecary beside the weaponry shop they had just passed.

Sasuke didn't know if he were supposed to follow inside or wait for him there. Naruto had seemed calm enough; Sasuke doubted the girl would be in any danger if she stayed with the blonde. Quite the contrary really, if Naruto was an assassin, she would be safe. While he stood there, he looked at the insignia over the small apothecary. It was a green cross in a white square, just like in Konoha. It made him homesick again. Naruto had been kind to him, keeping him fed and happy, but this village wasn't Konoha. It housed his family, and although Sasuke wasn't a mama's boy, he still had his fair share of family values. Hell, as much as he would have liked to deny it, even Lee would be a welcoming sight right now, despite his horrible obsession for youth and vitality. It was a trait of the green-clad boy that set Sasuke's teeth on edge, but the boy rarely left the Konoha borders, so he would be a familiar face, just what Sasuke longed to see.

When Naruto stepped out of the shop five minutes later, Sasuke still hadn't moved a muscle. The girl walked in front of him and she turned abruptly to curtsy deeply as a sign of gratitude. Around her injured pinkie was now a small band-aid with purple hearts. Sasuke watched dumbfounded as the little girl bounced away. He hadn't expected Naruto to act so calmly. Last time Naruto had seen blood, Sasuke's blood to be exact, said raven-haired man had fallen prey to a sexually starved blonde. Sasuke didn't feel like being given a repeat performance anytime soon.

"You didn't go berserk," he commented idly when Naruto reached him.

"What do you mean?"

"Last time you saw blood, you lost all reason." Sasuke threw Naruto a stern look for his feeble attempt to play dense when Naruto's eyes only widened slightly in mock innocence.

"That's because it was your blood. You are my Bonded, which means we are compatible in every way. We can't bond with whomever we like. Most of the people here with a spouse are only married actually. We are free to choose our own partner, but we cannot necessarily bond with them." Naruto shrugged, and suddenly Sasuke saw him in a new light. So the fact that they were bonded weren't really the dobe's fault after all. The bond created itself, and it was only dumb luck that Sasuke managed to come across the only thick-headed assassin in this village who had the potential to be his other half.

"Then why did you ask me to bond with you? How could you have known it would happen if you can't control it?"

"We can never know for sure, but there is a certain compatibility or chemistry, if you will, that you don't have to be psychic to see. When I saw you, I felt instantly attracted to you. It wasn't normal, so I assumed you were the one I could bond with," Naruto explained casually, "The only one actually, since we can never bond twice," he added with a shrug.

"So my blood affects you so much because we are compatible?"

"Everything about you affects me because we are compatible," was the quiet reply, and Sasuke went beet-red in a matter of seconds, much to Naruto's amusement.

"I still want to go home."

"I have other orders to follow right now. I can't escort you."

"You don't need to escort me!" Sasuke's ire rose quickly by the blunt response that hinted toward a need for protection. Naruto smirked as he looked down at the shorter male with clear amusement dancing in his eyes. "I know you don't, but I still want to," he argued sweetly. Sasuke was about to give a nasty retort, when movement behind him caught his attention.

"Why am I not surprised that even your own Bonded denies you," a voice crooned as a hand descended on Sasuke's shoulder. Sasuke turned around and came face to face with what he assumed was the shopkeeper from the apothecary. The insignia in front of the store was the same insignia the man had adorned his shirt with. "Don't worry, lad. When you have trouble with him, you can always come to me," he offered with a big grin. Sasuke choked and took a step away from the hand on his shoulder, quite puzzled by the sudden intrusion on his private space.

The man was taller than him, but shorter than Naruto again. He didn't look particularly intimidating, but Sasuke suspected he had some kind of ace up his sleeve if he had the nerve to go against Naruto in an open street. His gray-ish hair fell into his eyes and probably obscured a lot of his vision. Sasuke found it rather impractical, but despite this it was obvious that the man couldn't be much more than in his late twenties. The man looked kind, and Sasuke found himself drawn to the understanding smile he was met with.

He liked this man.

He could prove very useful in the future.

"Don't touch him, Mizuki. Assassin or not, I'm sure you can feel the bond like the rest of us." Mizuki turned his attention on the blonde when he spoke, and flashed him a knowing look. Sasuke could see there was some kind of communication passing between the two, but he had no idea what they were telling each other without words. The man, Mizuki, broke the eye contact first, turning to gaze at Sasuke thoughtfully. "We don't like you, but he," Mizuki looked at Naruto again, "he is innocent," he concluded before he pivoted on his heel and walked away. Naruto quickly snaked an arm around Sasuke's waist as he gently led the smaller male away, scowling intensely at Mizuki's back. Sasuke didn't even bother protesting, knowing Naruto's previously good mood was already hanging by a thread.

He frowned when he realised where Mizuki's bravery stemmed from. It was the very fact that they actually were out in the middle of the main street that the older man had dared talk to them. It was because there were a lot of people present that Mizuki had had the guts to publicly make a move on him and to make his distrust toward Naruto so blatantly obvious. There, in the middle of the street, there would be plenty of... witnesses? Sasuke frowned. He would never have pegged Naruto as the type who would easily resort to violence. He couldn't understand why Mizuki would even consider needing protection. Did they really fear him that much?

He looked around, really looked this time, and abruptly realised all the people who had their eyes on him and Naruto. And no matter what shaded emotions he could make out in the stares he got to scrutinise, he realised neither of them were kind nor supportive. He felt rather... insulted by this discovery. So Naruto had some wayward tendencies like assaulting young men in the dead of night, and he was completely uncaring when it came to Sasuke's need to see his brother, but he wasn't downright cruel. And Sasuke was pretty sure Naruto hadn't done anything to this village that should even remotely earn the blonde an immediate place on their black list. To Sasuke, he seemed to be a very loyal friend and a nice protector.

"I really want to carve his heart out with a spoon now." Naruto interrupted his thoughts with a growl as he tightened his arm around Sasuke's waist, allowing the fingers to bite into his side possessively.

'_Then again, just this once, I could be wrong'_, the youngest Uchiha conceded silently in his mind.

* * *

"Why do they hate him?" Sasuke tried to look casual as he stared at Sakura curiously. Sakura sighed as if she were expecting such a question, something Sasuke assumed she did. She dropped the pencil she was holding so she could look at him from beneath her lashes. Naruto had to take care of some urgent business. Sasuke assumed it was a nice name for the meeting with the village authority for illegally bonding with him, because that's what he thought it was.

It had come quite as a shock to him when Sakura had told him Naruto faced punishment for taking him as his own. The reason was that for the safety of the village, no stranger was allowed to enter or leave without the leader's specific permission. Sasuke had never met the leader in person, but Sakura had told him that Tsunade had a soft spot for Naruto, and would go easy on him. Either way, Sasuke had been dumped over at Sakura's in hopes of keeping him happily occupied until Naruto returned.

So he had been sitting beside her while she was writing a report from her latest mission, contemplating how to best ask the questions he wanted answers to. In the end he had come to the conclusion that discretion had never been his forte, and he simply burst out the first question that came to mind. Now that his first question had been voiced, loud and clear, Sakura had stopped writing so she could stare at him with her piercing emerald eyes, as if judging the credibility of his character.

"What you must understand about your Bonded is that his instincts are stronger than what most would consider natural." Sakura replied evasively, appearing very uncomfortable. Sasuke suspected it might be because she was sure Naruto would like to tell him himself. However, Sasuke neither had the patience to wait nor the courage to ask, so he mercilessly ploughed on with his third degree. "And what has that got to do with anything?"

Sakura sighed as she put away her half-finished report and moved from her desk to sit beside Sasuke. He was currently sipping a cup of tea as he looked at her with eyes so big and innocent, that Sakura instantly knew this was a weapon that could make even the most secretive man wear his heart on his sleeve. "Has Naruto told you he is an orphan yet?"

"No."

"Well, he is, and has been one ever since he was four. The people hate him, Sasuke, because they fear him. Naruto killed his own parents, and no one knows how he did it." After her statement, Sasuke forgot how to breathe for a second. He couldn't imagine Naruto committing such an atrocious crime like that. He would never in a million years draw such a conclusion if he were to judge by the way the blonde treated him. On the other hand, he was also aware of the fact that Naruto always put up a good front around him, so he had expected Naruto's assassin side would be much darker, just not to such an extent.

"What? Why would he do something like that?"

"Motives are unknown," she replied, looking rather unconcerned about the fact that Sasuke had just spent days with this murderer, **alone**. And he wasn't going to downplay his skills because he knew he was better than the average fighter, but an assassin was a whole different level. He could whoop most of the people in Konoha with little to no effort, but even he wasn't inclined to tempt fate.

"That's horrible!" he exclaimed, sending a fist through the air for added emphasis, almost spilling his tea. Sakura eyed him coolly as she took the teacup from his hands and put it on the table in front of them. The tea was cold. Sasuke had spent so much time thinking of how to proceed his questioning, he had completely forgotten to drink with exception of the polite sips every now and then.

"It's all a lie."

"What?"

"It's a lie," Sakura repeated slowly as if talking to a toddler, "But if you ask any random villager here, that will be their answer. It is surprisingly easy to believe lies, isn't it?" she inquired mildly, watching the now bitter tea slowly swirl in the cup. "You don't have to worry though. Naruto did not kill his parents."

"But you said-" Sasuke didn't know what to think anymore.

"And I also said I lied. It is true that his parents died under mysterious circumstances, but I am convinced that Naruto didn't do it. A few others are too, including Kakashi and Tsunade. He was nothing but a child at that time. Just because he was the only witness and has always been considered different, people simply assumed."

"That's very prejudiced of them."

"It's the truth. Even if your meeting was destiny, no one looks upon your bonding with kindness. You see, Naruto has the chance to find happiness with you."

Sasuke blinked, astonished by the cruelty toward the blonde. "He's so different that they can't even stand to see him bonded?"

"He is remarkably powerful if you measure him against the average assassin in our village. Of course we have other talented people here as well, but none quite like Naruto."

"What makes him so different?"

"Naruto is more powerful because he has a mother who was a Konoha ninja, just like you. Her name was Uzumaki Kushina. She married our villager Namikaze Minato, and they had Naruto a couple of years later. It is very simple explanation to it, really." Sakura waved a hand dismissively. "Everyone is related to each other one way or the other in _Tsuyu_, whether it is through a cousin or a distant relative long before our time. The idiotic fact is that this village doesn't accept outsiders, and with time that makes the selection of partners rather scarce." She smiled gently at his unimpressed expression, knowing he expected a tragic tale of battle and bloodshed. "Naruto has new blood running through his veins. Of course he would be stronger than the other interbred locals," she added scornfully.

"Aren't you also-"

"I am, but at least I have accepted the truth. If we don't open our imaginary borders soon, our village will eventually die out."

Sasuke didn't know how to respond to such a bitter statement. His first impression of the young woman had been good. She seemed bright and unbiased in her strong opinions. He didn't think of her as the type who would be easily swayed by false rumours and half-truths, but to think she had such a brilliant insight when she grew up in a village where the people let age-old rules, probably made during unfriendly times decades ago, still control their firm beliefs, Sasuke was impressed.

Sakura sighed deeply as she took the teacup on the table and stood. "This one is cold now. I'll make you another one," she offered quietly, and Sasuke gave her the space she so discreetly requested. She stopped on the threshold to the kitchen and turned around with a wistful smile. "I know you don't love him," she said knowingly, "and I honestly don't know if you ever will, but you should know that he won't give up on you now."

He didn't move until Sakura returned half an hour later.

* * *

Sasuke sighed. He had been here for three days already. He and Naruto had sort of fallen into a habit in the mornings where Naruto would wake up first, cuddle a still sleeping Sasuke for a minute or two, before getting dressed. By then Sasuke would be at least half-conscious and to some degree coherent, so Naruto would take the liberty of giving Sasuke his daily morning kiss, and then Sasuke would spend the next five minutes of his completely alert state to cuss the blonde assassin to kingdom come. They would eat breakfast together and then go and train, being each other's sparring partner. They shied away from the main street as much as possible after their meeting with Mizuki. Sasuke had once ventured to the village alone to buy some vegetables, and had been stopped by several random strangers who wondered how the bonded life with Naruto went.

Within the span of two hours, Sasuke had come to hate the lot.

It was now their fourth day and Sasuke could immediately tell that Naruto had news for him when he didn't receive the standard greeting from the blonde when he entered, what Sasuke had dubbed, the mini-cottage. "Sakura and I have been called out to aid Kakashi on the northern border." Naruto said as soon as he stepped over the threshold. While Naruto had been out, Sasuke had been sent over to Sakura's flat, something he noticed he always was when Naruto couldn't bring him along to wherever he was going, usually job related. Sakura had escorted him home in silence only minutes ago, and Sasuke found the timing suspiciously impeccable. After their chat days before, Sasuke hadn't asked any more surprising questions, allowing Sakura to rest at ease again and continue with her light banter. After their little chat, Sakura had been nervous and tense around him, but now they were back to being friendly and informal toward each other.

"Then can I come along so I can visit home?" Sasuke didn't miss the sharp look that was shot his way at the word 'home'. Naruto only shook his head as he shrugged off his coat.

Sasuke frowned, hit by the urgent want to challenge him, to take down his unwritten authority over him, but most of all, he wanted to see Itachi. His brother would know how to deal with this. "Why can't I? I'll be back within the week," he implored, letting a hint of sadness make his voice quiver more than accepted of an Uchiha. Naruto glanced at him sadly before he sat down on the low chair beside him by the table. "Look, I know you are not used to this primitive life I am leading, but I am doing my best to make you as comfortable as possible. I can take you home soon, but not right now."

And that was the comment that made the dam break. Sasuke felt rising ire boil under his skin as the blonde didn't even pretend to mull it over. He wasn't something Naruto could throw around whenever it suited him and expect to keep him under his thumb. "Then when? No one here trusts you, why should I?" he hissed, his onyx eyes now cold and detached.

Naruto's expression darkened considerably. Sasuke didn't have time to react when Naruto suddenly grabbed his wrists, pulled him up from the chair and proceeded to cage him against the nearest wall. "Yes, everyone here hates me! Does that make you want to run away?" His voice had taken an acrid edge and Sasuke fought the sudden urge to hide his face in Naruto's shoulder, and he inconspicuously inched his face closer to the blonde until his nose touched the soft fabric of Naruto's shirt. "It doesn't matter if you escape. It doesn't matter where you run. It doesn't matter whom you seek out for protection. It all boils down to one simple fact: you belong to me."

Naruto stopped his tirade to stare down at him with scrutinising eyes. Sasuke didn't dare to look up, and so Naruto tilted his head with a surprisingly gentle index finger to his chin. "Do I scare you?" he asked softly. Sasuke turned his head to the side and Naruto let him. He didn't reach for him again, but didn't move away from the smaller man either, keeping him tightly secured between himself and the wall. They stood there in the oppressive silence until Sasuke couldn't take it anymore and cleared his throat awkwardly.

"You think me a fool?" Naruto changed the topic as he took a small step back, not enough to stop Naruto from resting his chin on top of Sasuke's head, but enough to help Sasuke breathe from the simple fact that Naruto no longer let him bury his face in the blonde's black shirt with shame. "To think I haven't noticed how you keep asking questions about how you can best escape the village, you must be the foolish one," he whispered harshly into his ear, giving the earlobe a sharp nip in warning before he let his arms fall to his side. He seated himself on the same chair he had pulled Sasuke up from, tiredly rubbing the bridge of his nose as he left the smaller man standing with his back to the wall.

"Some friends of mine will look after you while I'm gone. Three of them are assassins too, so don't underestimate them. And we have carrier pigeons, so if you try something I will know within the day," Naruto warned briskly as he shot a pointed glance at the Uchiha, hoping beyond hope that the man would understand that any rebellious escapades on his part would not be tolerated when he was away.

"Yes, mom." Sasuke replied mockingly, but Naruto didn't deign his childish comment with an answer. The raven-haired man didn't move for another good five minutes, silently observing the blonde as he sat there with his back to him, shoulders a little hunched and with a slight tilt of the head to the right, as if he were thinking. Finally, the blonde assassin turned in his chair to meet Sasuke's probing gaze head on. "You know I love you, right?" he asked solemnly.

This time is was Sasuke who didn't reply.

* * *

Nara Shikamaru.

Yamanaka Ino.

Aburame Shino.

They were friends of Naruto, and currently his self-proclaimed babysitters. They mentioned a fourth one too, Choji something, and Sasuke suspected he was the non-assassin in the group. The three people introduced to him had looked fit, and Sasuke wondered if perhaps Shikamaru was the person Sakura had referred to when she had stated there were other talented assassins in the village besides Naruto.

For being an assassin, Shikamaru was incredibly relaxed. Such an attitude could point in two directions, either the man was extremely stupid, or he was extremely talented. Somehow Sasuke assumed the latter. There was just something about the guy. Every move he made appeared deceptively slow, but Sasuke was quite certain that if he took Naruto's dull kitchen knife and sent it flying, Shikamaru would be beside him in a flash with the very same kitchen knife pressing against his important neck arteries if he didn't watch himself.

The other two didn't make him quite as guarded, but wary nonetheless. Naruto's friends had already fallen into a rhythm where at least one of them popped in to check on him every third or fourth hour. Shikamaru had just left, and if his calculations were correct, Ino would be the next to show up. That gave him four hours to himself, give or take, before the next one would drop by to check on him. Sasuke wasn't taking any chances. Naruto had left earlier that day, while Sasuke was still in bed. He had feigned sleep, so he had been awake when Naruto had planted a tender peck on his lips before he slipped out the door.

It had made Sasuke ridiculously pleased.

Sasuke had realised when he woke today that he felt a little bad for his cold response to Naruto's confession. He admitted to himself that he could have at least said something, and had already promised himself that next time the subject of their relationship was brought up, Sasuke would at least be honest with his feelings and admit that yes, maybe he was feeling something for Naruto too. Although he had a hard time pinpointing what exactly. He also blamed a lot of his mixed emotions on the bond they shared, and wasn't really too trusting of what his heart told him when he knew it could be the bond talking. He had already asked Shino if this village had a library, to see if he could find any information about the bonding process. But this village really was old-fashioned and all information of value seemed to travel on word of mouth alone.

So Sasuke had devised a plan. However, for his plan to work, he needed supplies. It was a necessity that had led him to where he was right now. He leaned against the door cautiously, peering in through the glass to see if he could see anyone inside. Luckily, the apothecary was empty and he pushed the door open. A small bell jingled over his head as he entered. Soon hurried footsteps could be heard, and then the same man who had helped the little girl with the finger cut, stepped out from a curtain-covered backroom to see whom his customer was.

"Mizuki, I need your help," Sasuke pleaded immediately as he went to lean on the counter, watching the man's eyebrows jump straight to his hairline at the smaller one's request. Wordlessly he pushed away the curtain that hid the backroom and motioned for Sasuke to enter. "I need a week's worth of supplies. How far is it from _Tsuyu_ to Konoha?" Sasuke stopped in the entrance when he realised the backroom really was a direct passage to Mizuki's home. He stood in a small, but neat living room with a comfy-looking sofa and a complimenting low table in dark wood. On the floor was a huge carpet to prevent the winter chill from penetrating the floorboards and two pretty flowerpots balanced precariously on a window ledge.

Sasuke frowned. So even the local apothecary was better off than Naruto? For some reason, the thought didn't sit well with him. He focused on Mizuki again when he answered his question. "It really depends on how well you know the mountains," he said with a shrug, "It's not like it's particularly long distance from our village to Konoha, but the mountains can be tricky if you don't know your way."

"Can you draw me a map or something?" Sasuke asked quickly, but Mizuki shook his head. "Sorry, the furthest I've travelled is to the foot of the northern mountains to collect different herbs." It made sense when Sasuke thought of it. If Mizuki was the closest thing they had to a doctor then he couldn't leave the village for long intervals. "I know though that if you walk in a straight line as much as possible, from the village, over the Airi Mountains and continue onwards, you will eventually reach trade routes that take you to Tanzaku Gai," Mizuki added helpfully, and Sasuke's eyes lightened up with this knowledge.

"I can provide you with dry meat, bread, cheese, a mat to sleep on and bandages, some healing herbs, and I think I have two water bags somewhere so you can keep a constant water supply. I've heard the mountains are full of small creeks with clear water, but I don't know how it is after you've passed the mountains." Mizuki walked back and forth in the living room, often disappearing to what Sasuke assumed what the kitchen and came back with a bag to put it all in. "You will also need matches, but be careful of where you light a fire, and I think a dagger can only do you good."

"I- thank you." Sasuke was left in awe as the bag was dumped at his feet, all done within an hour. Sasuke had expected the young man to need some coaxing, a few sweet words to be swayed, but Mizuki hadn't even asked him why he wanted to leave. Now that he thought of it, it all seemed a little **too** good to be true. "Is there anything else I should know?" he inquired casually, not missing the tight smile he was rewarded with.

"Not that I can think of." Mizuki reached out and ruffled his hair affectionately. Sasuke let him. He took the dagger and put it in his utility belt with his other weapons, five kunai. Naruto hadn't had the time to restock his utility belt with weapons after their last sparring match. A dagger would be really helpful. With a bow, he took the bag and flashed the older man a grateful grin. "Thank you," he repeated sincerely as Mizuki followed him through the store and to the entrance door. "It was my pleasure," Mizuki replied warmly as he opened the door for him. With a small wave, he let the door go and Sasuke watched it click shut with an apprehensive heart. He still felt like he was clueless to something. Well, he was sure he could handle it somehow with the help of what Mizuki had supplied him with.

Only an hour had passed and that left him with hopefully three hours, at least two, to get as far away from the village as possible. He didn't think that Naruto's friends would bother to track him for long, not when he was heading in the same direction Naruto had taken before him. Naruto had told him the evening before he left that reaching the mountains only took hours, and that he would be with Kakashi within the day. That meant the intruders were only a day's walk away, and Sasuke wouldn't be surprised if he found his brother already with Naruto in a headlock when he reached the village borders. Sasuke started walking; his heart light and carefree with the knowledge of seeing his brother soon. If all went according to plan, he would see Itachi within the day, or hopefully Tanzaku Gai in a few days top.

After three hours of energetic walking, Sasuke couldn't help but wonder if the others realised he was gone by now. He had been lucky when he met Mizuki that day. He was indebted to the man. The small paths he had been following so far had been clearly visible amongst the trees and shrubbery, maybe misleadingly so. Sasuke hadn't come across any obstacles yet, which was weird since Naruto had said the mountains were difficult, as good as impossible, to manoeuvre if one didn't know exactly where to step. This was a village for assassins; the surrounding mountains should be full of traps. Or maybe Naruto had lied to keep him tied to his little mini-cottage while he was away. It didn't matter. Sasuke was in high spirits as he came across a small creek trickling down the mountainside. He greedily quenched his thirst before he filled the two water bags Mizuki had given him. His load became heavier, but the added weight was only a comfort since Sasuke knew that water was his most essential necessity. Even the weather Gods seemed to favour him today. Although the sun wasn't shining, the temperature was still high, and he assumed he wouldn't need to light a fire for the night to keep warm.

Then Sasuke frowned as he realised something.

Now that he thought about it, the temperature was almost too warm. The air was so humid and thick it was almost uncomfortable to breathe. And although the temperature was high, it only made his skin clammy. And he who had always been told that the fresh mountain air was healthy; he almost felt a little cheated. On the other hand, the air had never been like this in _Tsuyu_. The only time he had ever experienced something like this, to a lesser degree, was in Konoha, right before a heavy rainfall with lightning, thunder and the whole nine yards had surprised the village.

And then it hit him, an oncoming storm was approaching. Naruto had mentioned those. Sasuke cursed himself for his ignorant stupidity. A storm could last for only hours to a matter of days. If he were lucky this was a storm of the former type, but he would still have enough supplies if it were annoyingly resilient and never-ending. However, that would leave the assassins with a serious advantage as they knew the mountains and were also probably used to the unpredictable weather. He could only hope the oncoming storm would also wipe away his tracks.

Sasuke assumed the storm would hit sometime by nightfall, and his first priority now was to find shelter before that happened. Since he was currently in a mountain range, he figured his best option at the moment was to find a cave, preferably a bit away from the main path he had been following for the past few hours. He took off from the trail and went into unmarked nature, passed mighty trees and small bushes, noted down the ones full of ripe, edible berries in his mind as he went. They could help him ease down the strain on his limited food supply in the future.

Then he found what he was searching for. He could barely see it as it was almost invisible, but in the looming mountain wall was a small, dark opening. It looked strangely appealing to Sasuke as he thought of what would become of him if he didn't get under some kind of roof soon. He had to bend his knees a little to enter, and he was pleased to see the floor slant slightly toward him as he stood at the entrance and surveyed his chosen shelter for the night. It wasn't very tall, nor was it particularly wide, but since he was the only person he had lots of space to thrive in, so it would do. No water could defy gravity so the cave would at least stay dry. Upon closer inspection, Sasuke also realised the cave went further in, it was deep, but he could faintly eye a wall at the very back, so it wasn't endless. He was thankful for that. It meant that he wouldn't have to worry about people sneaking up on him, but he would also need to stay on alert in case anyone or anything should try and block his only way out.

Dropping his bag on the rocky ground, Sasuke quickly rolled out his mat and plumped down on it. Dusk was almost upon him and the sky had darkened considerably without his notice. As if on cue, thunder rumbled in the sky, sounding dangerously close. The youngest Uchiha wondered if he had time to pick some berries, but just then a drop landed on the ground in front of the cave, and Sasuke raised an eyebrow, wondering if this was a clear answer from above to his silent question. As the rain started pouring down, creating quite the mud hole in front of his cave, Sasuke decided he should do a close inspection of his shelter before he went to sleep. Other reptiles or insects could have made a home of this cave before him, and he hated surprises, especially at night. A certain blonde could attest to that.

Sasuke couldn't be certain, but although it was now dark outside, he didn't even think it was close to midnight yet. Fumbling around in the blackness, he didn't stop until he found a dry stick. Taking it, he went to the cave entrance and stuck out one side of the stick, dousing it with rain before he touched the now wet end. It was acceptable. Not that it mattered anyway. The ground consisted of mainly rock and dirt, nothing was burnable should he drop his self-made torch. Finding his bag and pulling out the box of matches, he fished one up and lit the stick, patiently waiting for the flame to set.

Now that he was able to see more than blurry outlines again, he stood up and decided to start by the entrance and work his way in, following the cave wall. When he had reached the very back of the cave, with no greater discovery than a mad toad by the entrance, Sasuke was a little put off. This whole escape thing proved rather uneventful. As an assassin village, he thought they would be headhunting him for knowing its location. He had expected things to be a little more... dramatic?

That was why he nearly missed it, because he had never expected it. He thought if something would surprise him it would be big, loud and impossible to miss, or in the form of an assassin; stealthy, silent and deadly. But the carefully raised stone plate was so inconspicuous it was baffling. Sasuke almost dismissed it, but due to the upright position it looked a bit off so he bent down to inspect it closer. The cold stone was flat, something that was odd for a mountain rock, and the surface was unusually smooth. It took him some time to really notice it for what it was, and what purpose it had.

It was a gravestone. Someone had taken their time to polish a piece of rock down to near perfection, only so a final homage could be carved into the surface with neat and precise letters.

_Here lies Jiraiya_

_A friend and protector_

* * *

_Quick dictionary:_

_Yaoi (used in A/N): Japanese term for male/male relationships that includes (graphic) sexual intercourse._

_Uke (used in A/N): The bottom in a homosexual relationship_

_Aniki: Big brother_

_Teme: Bastard_

_Otouto: Little/Younger brother_

_Tsuyu: Monsoon season_

* * *

Before you say anything I would like you to know that I am aware that Sasuke's reaction to Naruto is way out of character when his first time was practically non-con. But if I were going to write a realistic portrait of a rape victim, this story would've been quite the angst-filled piece of work, and I don't want that. It might be mentioned on more serious terms later, but don't expect something drastic such as a suicide attempt in the near future.

I have the entire plot written down, so I know where this story is going. But I also have a busy school year ahead of me and I know that my time will be scarce. I can't promise quick updates, but I promise a complete story sometime in the future. To be honest, this could take two to three years for me to get done since I can only write during holidays, but the chapters will probably have an average length of ten thousand words (I think) to make up for the serious lack of updates. By then people will probably have figured out half the plot already. Ouch.

**Next chapter should be up sometime in January**, if everything goes according to plan. Check my profile for more information when Christmas, 2009, has passed.

If you liked this, please let me know. Reviews are like fuel to my fire. (Painted Ys will stop her shameless begging now) Review, onegaishimasu! (Or maybe not)

Ja ne!

P-Ys


	2. Possessive

_Huge thanks to: Estel-Ara, Gertrude Abbernathy, Utena-Puchiko-nyu, Calamus, xXMewzikLuverXx, ladywolfTerri, sasori-chibi, Hot-Emo-Athiest, lil joker, sir authoress, Lufry, TheFallenbecomesHaunted, sher162252, Jisa, roses in bloom, idkgoaway, hamiechi, for reviewing!_

It kind of hit me when I was writing this chapter that I could have just made it into a werewolf story since I was so obsessed with writing a mated NaruSasu fiction, but then I realised I'm not very good with claws (shakes head) so this will have to do.

**Disclaimer:** Nope, Naruto is not mine. If it was, you would know, trust me.

**Notes:** Let me remind you that this story comes with a huge OOC warning. Sasuke is bright, but also very innocent because of a certain overprotective brother. I am under the belief that his personality in canon is mainly due to his brother's betrayal. That's why I think it's credible that with his brother reasonably sane and well, Sasuke would be a lot more naïve to the outside world.

'_Thoughts'_

**Emphasis on a word**

_The word can be found in the dictionary on the bottom of this page_

* * *

_**Chapter 2: Possessive (manifesting possession or the desire to own or dominate)**_

"So... You haven't actually **seen** anything suspicious?" Naruto repeated for the third time as he inched closer to Kakashi with an inquisitive look. After his arrival two hours ago, Kakashi had gathered him and Sakura for a quick briefing of the current situation.

The two newcomers had been given squat.

"I'm telling you, they're good. I **know** they're close, but I can't pinpoint the exact location." Kakashi replied and his only visible eye crinkled in a friendly manner. Naruto and Sakura exchanged a look that clearly questioned the credibility of their old mentor. After all, a man famous for his combined fighting skills and porn wasn't exactly a man one should blindly follow.

"This isn't so you can send us out scouting while you sit here and read, is it?" Sakura asked accusingly, turning to stare at the silver-haired man with a critical eye.

"...I will admit that it's partly true, but this could pose a serious threat too. It's like killing two birds with one stone," was the cheerful reply.

"Be serious!" Sakura yelled, pulling the pink ribbon in her hair to unfasten it with a huff. With deft limbs she quickly pulled her hair together and used the ribbon to make a firm ponytail. A few strands fell loose to frame her face, and Naruto himself sometimes wondered how on earth she could be his colleague. Sakura looked incredibly girly with all her pink everything, but she was deadly and efficient in her line of work.

"I **am** serious. The intruders are a reason for concern... And it's important to read." Kakashi reasoned, fingers already clutching the orange book in question. Naruto snorted when Sakura whacked their unsuspecting ex-teacher upside his head. "Sakura, don't give him a concussion. That would only leave us with more work," he admonished when he noticed the pink-haired woman was preparing herself for round two. She huffed, but lowered her fist obediently, turning away in search of something to distract herself with.

Sakura ended up taking in the view, enjoying the shelter of the vast mountains. The mountain range was something only the villagers in Tsuyu could fully manoeuvre without killing a handful of people in the process. And it wasn't because they could manipulate the weather like so many foreigners thought. It was a ridiculous notion. A few years ago a rumour had spread. It was said that the village chieftain had the unique ability to control the weather, and anyone who wandered into the mountains without permission incurred her wrath. It had made every outsider superstitious, and for five months not a single soul had even dared to gaze up at the mountains.

Sakura could only laugh at their ignorance.

Tsuyu wasn't situated on a mountaintop, like many believed, but in a shallow valley. The villagers merely referred to the valley they lived in as the Trinity Point because three huge mountains shielded it. Their entire society was based on one thing: the very simple, very useful, very brilliant cave system. Instead of crossing mountains, they simply passed directly through them. To be honest, Sakura was surprised no one had discovered the caves yet, but she wasn't complaining.

It made it thrice as easy to protect the village.

"I'll take the first watch. You get yourself settled." Naruto placed a gentle hand on her shoulder as he came up beside her. He had long ago noticed that the clouds were becoming heavier and darker, and had immediately proceeded to set up his one-man tent. One could say the lot of them were rather spoiled. Instead of huddling together in the closest cave, they had all bothered to carry their own tents for privacy. And since it was something they could afford, Tsunade had not once complained to them about it. The tents were easy to set up and take down, were nicely camouflaged in grey and green colours, and the privacy it offered when alone kept people more pleasant when together.

Naruto could tell there would be a storm soon, and he would've preferred it if Sakura had her tent up as well by the time the squall reached them. "The weather will be rough tonight. You better hurry," he said offhandedly, waiting for her to speak. He knew her well enough now to know when she used the silence to gather her thoughts. Sometimes he found his pink friend very easy to read.

"Why him?" Sakura asked quietly after several minutes of oppressive silence. Naruto was neither surprised by her lack of discretion nor offended by her blatant distrust toward his judgement. He was, however, rather miffed she phrased herself like a jealous lover instead of the concerned best friend she ought to be. She should be asking her questions in concern for his well-being rather than compare his chosen one to the million possibilities out there. "How on earth could you have known it was him?"

"I just felt it. Couldn't stop myself from-"

"Naruto! You should be more considerate. You gave him no choice, and now that you're tied, he can't go back. Don't you see the danger here?" Sakura's voice was sharp and Naruto quickly raised his hands in a conciliatory gesture. "I know I have overstepped my boundaries, and I have no excuse for that. But despite everything I've done to him, I know he doesn't hate me. It gives me hope." His eyes softened a fraction as he put his hands pleadingly on her shoulders. "Please don't take that away from me."

Sakura stilled as she let his words sink, leaving Naruto to fidget nervously. Suddenly she laughed and patted his head as if he were five years old. Naruto let his hands drop as he stared at her in bafflement, surprised by her sudden change in behaviour. "As if I could," Sakura said with an assuring final pat, "Only you, Naruto, only you," she murmured fondly. And with that, she bid him good night and went to set up her tent. Naruto grinned at her retreating back, silently agreeing with her.

It was only him.

Him and Sasuke.

It was more than enough.

* * *

Sasuke stared.

He didn't really know where to look. The thought that somebody was buried in the soil underneath him freaked him out more than a dead, **visible** body ever could. It was a whole different matter if someone had died right in front of him. He would be able to assess the body, find out the cause of death and more importantly, determine if the culprit was still around. He preferred it when he could **see** the dangers around him, although his gut instinct usually had a knack for keeping him out of trouble.

This, on the other hand, was someone who had been buried by a person who cared deeply enough to spend a lot of time on making the perfect gravestone. As silly as it might seem, the thought made him uneasy. Then again, a lot of recent happenings made him uneasy. He didn't feel comfortable sleeping so near a grave, and not because he expected dead bodies to rise, no, it was just the very fact that someone was buried under him.

With just one look outside, however, it became obvious that leaving wasn't an option. It was pouring, and he could see the yellow flashes of lightning at regular intervals, quickly accompanied by rolling thunder. If he left now, he would be asking for a cold and if he were lucky, he would be down with pneumonia in a matter of hours. Sasuke didn't have a choice but to impose on this sacred place.

That's what it was now. Itachi had taught him that since his first day at the ninja academy. Every place used for burial, officially and unofficially, was sacred. It was a disgrace to not respect the memory of the dead, even if these memories didn't belong to you.

It didn't matter. He wasn't here to wake the dead. If everything went according to plan, Sasuke would be gone by midday, hopefully sooner. Having calmed himself, Sasuke rolled out the sleeping mat and curled himself up on the harsh straws. The travelling mat was really uncomfortable, but it would have to do. He wouldn't be sleeping on it for long anyway if Mizuki had been right in his assumptions. If Sasuke was lucky he might even meet Itachi on the way back, and he was anyway certain he could reach Konoha within the week. His sense of direction couldn't possibly be that off.

Konoha.

He missed Konoha. It was his hometown after all. And more importantly it had a library, which he was determined to milk for information. Someone must've heard about this village before. There must have been some records of previously odd disappearances and whatnot. And he could talk to his brother again. Itachi would certainly know how to solve this, and the world would right itself again on its axis.

Content with his plan, Sasuke tucked a hand under his chin and dozed off.

* * *

"They're here. You see them?" Kakashi peered over the edge carefully as he watched three outlines approach in the distance, pointing them out for the two others. He was right. Three dark figures were quickly approaching. They moved stealthily, obviously well trained in combat, but it was impossible to be noiseless in this rocky terrain. One appeared to be talking rather loudly as well, possibly complaining by the sound of it. It didn't take long for the wind to carry the voice up to them, and Naruto sharpened his ears as one of the men voiced his obvious distaste for the unstable mountain terrain as his careless foot sent a rock rolling down the mountainside.

Once again, Naruto had to applaud Tsunade's sharp insight. The men below them might be seasoned fighters if they had the bravery to enter the mountains, but they were foolish for letting their guard down. However, they were still a good mile away from the village, and it was for this very reason Tsunade chose to put the guards so far away from the village itself. Not only did it give them more time to prepare should they be attacked, but the enemy was easier caught off guard. They thought they were safely away from the village, and that made them prone to silly mistakes and brash actions.

It made it all so much easier.

"Do we attack?" Sakura whispered, squinting to get a better view. Before anyone could respond, the three people beneath them froze in their tracks, standing completely still as if listening in on the conversation. Kakashi just silently shook his head as he took a cautious step backwards, mindful not to make a sound. There was no way they could've been heard across that distance, but if the intruders even had an inkling of their presence, then their entire advantage would be ruined.

"There were two black-haired men down there with the same symbol on their backs as Sasuke. One of them must be his brother." Naruto mused out loud as he plopped down in front of his tent. "Sasuke won't be happy if he finds out we attacked them," he stated with conviction, silently conveying his message to Kakashi. His old mentor only nodded once in understanding, tilting his head as the trio below noisily made their way up toward their camping plateau.

"I suppose we could try to warn them off first. Our orders are simple: let no one cross the border without specific permission." Sakura suggested with a shrug. She didn't care much for fights, and under Tsunade's tutelage she had learned more about healing herbs and cleaning wounds than fighting techniques. It didn't mean that she wasn't a proficient killer; she just preferred to poison the food, or perhaps slip sleeping draught into the drink and then proceed to kill the victim in his sleep. The only sharp weapon she bothered with was a _kanzashi_, which could hardly be called a blade, despite its deadliness. Sakura liked it when she could make the death seem natural.

Naruto, on the other hand, wasn't as gracious with his killings, but he was still subtle. However, it was impossible to ignore the dead bodies left in his wake as his preferred weapon was the sharp kind; blades. Of course, it all depended on the mission, but he would usually stick to throwing knives and hidden blades. This was the complete opposite strategy compared to Kakashi who only carried a standard katana and a dagger. The man left a terrible mess and his signature was known all over the country. He always arranged the corpses in a neat position and he never injured his victim's face. Kakashi's only explanation was that he thought it was terribly rude to just leave the corpses after he had killed them, and that it was bad luck for people who passed into the afterlife with disfigured faces (1). It was an obvious sign of disrespect for the dead, he would say, and then Naruto would loudly point out that they were dead because Kakashi had killed them. Kakashi would only stare at him sternly for interrupting before slowly explaining to Naruto that the dead deserved respect, even from their killers. This would be when Naruto would arch an eyebrow, shake his head and just turn around to walk away in the opposite direction.

The only thing they carried in common was smoke bombs. Nasty little things if someone happened to accidentally detonate one. Naruto could easily be categorised as that someone. Luckily he had realised in young age that he should never depend entirely upon a weapon that required a sharp aim, and had instead been happy to choose another area of expertise.

Naruto quickly closed the open tent flaps and sat down heavily on the closest rock with his back against the hard stonewall behind him, appearing very relaxed. Sakura followed suit and simply lowered her shoulders where she sat, observing the view through deceivingly droopy lashes. Kakashi didn't change his attitude much, only went to lean against the wall beside Naruto, still with his nose buried deep in the book. They waited patiently in silence for the small group to reach them.

The first sign came with the sound of footsteps coming closer, occasionally followed by the small rumble of a rock rolling over the edge. Then it was the indignant mutters of a man complaining about the rough terrain and the impossible weather. 'Good, they must've been caught in the storm,' Kakashi thought rather pleased. For unprepared people, the storms could be a taxing experience when up in the mountains. It wouldn't be much of a fight if it came down to it then. This would be a simple matter easily dealt with. Sakura and Naruto could probably return to the village already by tomorrow.

All of a sudden, everything around them became silent. One moment, everything was there, the echo of the heavy footsteps and the hissed whispers, and in the next second, everything was deathly quiet. It was as if someone blew out the only candle in a completely dark room, and caused everyone to fall silent, and some to panic. To say that they panicked would be much of an exaggeration, but Naruto frowned and Sakura's relaxed shoulders tensed ever so slightly. Kakashi's guard was up and screaming for him to locate the intruders immediately.

This shouldn't be possible.

**They** were the predators here.

The change was quick and deadly. Naruto's gut feeling screamed at him to duck, and he barely had time to bend his head before a kunai was trembling in the mountain wall behind him, exactly where his left eye had been, if his assumption was correct. It was enough to get them moving. In silent agreement, they spread and went for the closest cover. Sakura followed the trail upward and was soon out of sight. Kakashi disappeared into the cave. The tunnels would take him a level above the current plateau and would position him beneficially for an ambush. Naruto only stood up, prepared to face the danger head-on.

He was the bait.

He barely caught the sharp movement in the periphery of his vision, but he had certainly anticipated something unexpected. He acted on instinct and threw himself away with a backward flip. He only registered black hair and the familiar Uchiha fan his Bonded had plastered on the back of his shirt, and for a fleeting moment he thought his intended was attacking him. Then he noticed the great difference in height, and was immediately reassured. That meant he could draw his blades. He slowly inched his ring finger closer to the toggle lever of his hidden blades, and positioned himself with his back to his opponent. By all means, let him think he had the advantage. It gave Naruto something to brag about when he met up with Sasuke later.

Now, if only the intruders would kindly attack, or better yet, go away.

Before his brain realised what the body was doing, he was already doing a roundhouse kick, skilfully aiming for the attacker's head while blocking the blurred fist currently heading for his stomach. However, an elbow easily deflected his foot and in the next second something dangerously cold and sharp was pressed against his vulnerable throat. It had happened so quickly Naruto hadn't even managed to see all the moves, but he had been quick enough to tactfully place his hand over the man's chest. He had given himself perfect access to the heart.

They were caught in a stalemate, but the intruder obviously didn't know this as he only pressed the polished steel closer to his neck arteries warningly. Well, better find out what the entire ruckus was about. And keep his fingers crossed that Kakashi and Sakura had managed to deal with the two other opponents who had yet to make an appearance before him. The man before him was taller than Sasuke, even a few inches taller than him, but the resemblance was unmistakable. It quickly cleared whatever confusion was left.

The man was obviously searching for someone, a family member to be exact.

"You know my brother. Where is he?" The words were hissed into Naruto's ear and once again he was surprised by the similarity between the two, apparently, brothers. He opened his mouth to reply, but stopped short when the katana to his throat drew a drop of blood. "And don't lie to me. I saw the surprised look of recognition. For a second, you mistook me for him." Ah, Naruto had already found the first difference in the two brothers. Although they did look alike, the way they threatened others were vastly different. Like this one, Sasuke would act and talk with the same direct aloofness and chilling conviction. However, where Sasuke was easy to confuse, taunt and anger, this version would most certainly remain just as unimpressed with the wasted efforts.

"Sasuke is safe in the village, waiting for my return." Naruto tried to sound placating, but doubted it would work unless the mentioned little brother was within sight. This guy didn't seem to take people for their words and seemed to be the type who had to see things to believe it. Naruto was proven right when the only response was a quick demand to see Sasuke. Naruto almost laughed at the prospect of just taking strangers into the village without permission from Tsunade first. "I can't without permission from the higher-ups," he said instead, biting the inside of his cheek to prevent his lips from tilting upward.

"Then get permission."

"It doesn't work that way." Naruto shot back, a little annoyed by the obtuse orders.

"Make it work that way. Don't forget the situation you're in." The man made a point by shifting the katana just a little, so his victim was reminded of the steel at his neck. Naruto smirked cruelly in a way that would make Sasuke raise a questioning eyebrow. It was something very unlike him, and even his assailant noticed the change in atmosphere. Deliberately, Naruto made a small flick with the wrist close to the man's chest, causing the sleeve to fall down and reveal his ring finger pressed against the toggle lever of his hidden blade. Even from the sharp angle, the man could clearly see the blade, and the aim could not be mistaken. If Naruto released the blade now, it would shoot straight into his heart.

"I would be damned if I were bested by you." Naruto informed curtly, and watched with satisfaction as the man slowly lowered the katana and took a guarded step back for a new assessment. The blonde considered pointing out how the man was fooled by, most likely, his outfit, but in a way he also understood. One wouldn't expect an orange-clad guy such as himself to be particularly discreet. That's what made him so unpredictable to others. Everyone who met him thought they knew his type because he was wearing screaming orange on a daily basis. Frankly, Naruto thought it was rather prejudiced of them, but it gave him all the more fun when he took them by surprise.

"Why are you here?" the taller man asked, and Naruto had to chuckle. This guy still had the guts to ask the questions, although he was the one intruding. He could most definitely see the similarity between the brothers. It was rather charming. Before he had a chance to reply, Kakashi beat him to it. "You're trespassing," he explained calmly, appearing from the shadows with his sword held directly over the throat of a man with a strangely spiked ponytail. He was apparently the second guy of the little party. Not that Naruto had expected another outcome. Kakashi wasn't one to disappoint in battles. He was both strict and demanding toward himself, and although Naruto had never understood how Kakashi could thrive with such an attitude, his old mentor had never shown anything but progress. It was rather mind-boggling. "We're the only warning you get," he added with a mocking tilt of the lips.

"Iruka." Sasuke's brother took a step toward the man currently held hostage, but Naruto simply unsheathed the blade on his left arm and the man stopped. "Itachi." The man, Iruka, responded warily, and Naruto could practically see the elaborate discussion they had through eye contact alone. They were seasoned fighters all right, but they had a disadvantage Naruto was going to exploit to the fullest. Not a single one of them knew this terrain like he did. One move, one move, and it would all go to hell until one was left standing.

"Could someone get this bloody beast to let go?" Sakura's enraged plea made Naruto turn his head abruptly. _'If they have injured her…'_ Naruto bristled at the thought, but almost immediately calmed himself in a rare show of self-restraint. This Iruka would simply be the one paying the consequences if she were hurt. Kakashi had turned around as well, still with a firm hold of the man before him, but Naruto could tell from the way his pose had stiffened, he was probably thinking along the same lines as himself.

When Sakura first came in sight, she was walking on her toe balls, craning her neck to stop the man behind her from tugging at her hair too much. The guy was holding her pink hair tightly in his grasp far above her head, forcing her to almost walk on her toes. Her arms were tied behind her back with her own hair ribbon. The guy was arrogant enough to not even have a weapon aimed at her, even though he was armed. It was obvious by the bulging utility belt around his waist that he considered himself quick enough to take the risk. Naruto scoffed. These newcomers were seriously underestimating them.

"Ah, looks like you've got something of ours," the new intruder commented lightly and bobbed his head toward Iruka. "I'll let this missy go, if you let him go," he offered, looking pointedly at Kakashi. It wasn't even a question. Kakashi immediately loosened his hold on Iruka, watching intently as the man started undoing Sakura's ribbon. As soon as her wrists were free, she turned around swiftly and gave the offending man a good kick on the shin before stomping off to stand beside Naruto. Satisfied, Kakashi pulled Iruka up and gave him a shove in Itachi's general direction. The Uchiha quickly made a grab for him and made sure he was steady, before his eyes landed challengingly on Naruto. His eyes narrowed and for a moment Naruto imagined the eyes bled red.

"No need to look at us like that. We had every intention to solve this peacefully, but then you disappeared on us and attacked instead." Kakashi chided gently as if he were facing naughty four-year-olds. Sakura huffed at his mild tone, but didn't comment. Iruka shuffled consciously where he stood, appearing slightly guilty for his accused crime. "We are looking for someone," he explained, "and the tracks continue through the mountains. We need to pass."

"What's the rush? If he's related to either of you it seems like he can take care of himself." Sakura said and put her hands on her hips in irritation.

"He is my brother, Sasuke. And although his fighting skills are up to par, he's not very experienced. And I know you have him." Itachi pointed at Naruto, daring him to deny it. "I can't believe you keep him here in this wilderness all by himself."

"Naruto takes care of his ma- guests." Sakura defended, outraged by Itachi even hinting at Naruto being unable to provide for his own. "He was left in the village with friends that will take good care of him, until he returns. Sasuke won't come to harm while we are here." Sakura swore with conviction as she crossed her arms defensively. These people got on her nerves, although their concern for Sasuke was touching, they had completely misjudged the blonde. He was the most caring person in the entire village, and he would doubtlessly go to incredible lengths to keep his raven well protected and cared for.

"There's no village here in the-" Iruka trailed off and his eyes glazed over, recalling a faraway memory. When his eyes cleared again, he looked decidedly uncomfortable. When he spoke, his gaze pierced Naruto right through the skull. "Don't tell me this village is called Tsu- Tsuy- Tsuyu or something?" he pleaded, and when Naruto gave a short nod, the man looked rather horrified by the revelation. He rubbed the creases on his forehead with a dejected sigh, and when he looked up again, he looked much older. "And you're sure he's in the village?" His question was deigned with another nod.

Without another word, Iruka grabbed an arm each of the two other men and dragged them a little away from the group of assassins. He bent down and started whispering. Several times Itachi stood up and proceeded to leave the circle to beat something up, but Iruka promptly dragged him down again every time. It was when the enraged brother shot up and shouted the word "mate?" that both Iruka and Shisui were unable to hold him back. Then he practically stalked toward Naruto and bent down a little so that they were face to face.

"Tell me one thing," he hissed, "did my brother go with you willingly?" Naruto stopped the urge to swallow, doubting that it would leave a particularly good impression, and instead focused on giving a good answer. "He didn't struggle," he replied casually, _'until after he regained consciousness,'_ he added mentally, proverbially patting himself on the back for such a diplomatic half-truth. He could tell from the corner of his left eye that Sakura had just prevented herself from slapping her forehead in resignation. Oh well, he couldn't please everyone, and Sakura knew him well enough to tell when he wasn't being completely honest.

Itachi narrowed his eyes. He had come to the obvious conclusion that the blonde had to die. He just hadn't decided on how yet. His thoughts, however, where interrupted when the pink girl poked the blonde's shoulder to get his attention before pointing at something in the sky. _'A pigeon?'_ Itachi thought. He had seen several pigeons on his journey to the mountains, so he couldn't fathom why this one would make a difference?

It became clear soon enough when the bird dived from the heavens to land on Naruto's shoulder. Upon closer inspection, a piece of parchment appeared to be tied around the bird's right leg. Carrier pigeons? Clever, he hadn't paid the birds much notice until now. After all, they were quite common, but now that he knew, he wouldn't let one slip by him again. Intercepting messages amongst the villagers might give him more useful information.

Meanwhile the blonde had quickly unfastened the message, and was currently reading the note with narrowed eyes, the pink-haired one was reading over his shoulder with barely concealed mirth. "I told you so," she chided and patted his arm in a motherly fashion. "It didn't hold him for long."

"What?" Iruka couldn't help but inquire, curiosity getting the best of him. Naruto looked up, but didn't give an immediate reply, causing Kakashi to graciously step in. "Well, if his silence is anything to go by, I bet Sasuke has just made a run for it. Am I right?" A tight nod was the only response he got before Naruto turned on his heel and marched off into the cave.

Itachi wasn't far behind, but Kakashi daringly took him by the upper arm as he tried to pass. "Don't follow him. Sasuke can't have gotten far and he is also heading in our direction. The same storm that hindered the pigeon from reaching us sooner will have forced Sasuke to seek shelter. That means your brother hasn't been on the move in the dark of night, which makes it highly unlikely for anything to have befallen him. Naruto will find him within hours," he advised, "just wait here and your brother will come to you soon."

Itachi gave it some thought before driving his katana into the ground. "Iruka, Shisui, let's make a camp here and rest. We'll give him until evening. If he's not back by then with Sasuke, we're following." The others quickly followed his example, placing their weapons within reaching distance and setting their camp as far away from the locals as possible. Shisui even had the audacity to ask for further directions, but Iruka had quickly put a hand over his mouth before Shisui had had a chance to repeat the sentence. Kakashi had only looked at him with a stunned expression.

Now while they were busy setting up their own camp, Sakura slowly inched closer to Kakashi, eyeing the intruders with incredulity. "Isn't this- **ridiculously** arrogant of them? We could easily kill them," she hissed, slightly peeved by their unconcerned attitude. The tallest one, who had held her by the hair, chuckled heartily at her outburst and turned to face her. "We," he began and made a circling motion to indicate he was referring to all the three newcomers, "are here on a mission to retrieve a most beloved little brother. Now he," Shisui pointed at Itachi, "is Sasuke's overprotective big brother by blood. That one over there," he moved his finger to Iruka, "has practically raised the squirt in the absence of his father, and as for myself," he directed the finger at himself, "I'm just trying to get into his," he pointed back at Itachi again, "pants," he finished, deftly catching the kunai aimed right at his heart with two fingers.

"Shisui, you know he isn't in the mood for your jokes." Iruka warned. "What Shisui's trying to say is that you are outnumbered and lack the drive. In other words, this isn't a matter of you killing us…" he trailed off, and didn't even bother finishing the sentence. They had probably caught the subtle hint already. Content with himself, Iruka sat down on the closest rock with a feeling of ease that had been absent since Sasuke's disappearance. So the youngest one had managed to get bonded to that blonde uncouth youth, huh? Well, perhaps not youth, but certainly not fully adult either.

And then his thoughts started rolling. They would have to inform Fugaku of their discovery. Iruka frowned. Although the man might be generally cold, it was no secret to Iruka that Sasuke was practically Fugaku's little princess. Sasuke might be insulted that he wasn't graced with his father's presence more often, but the stern father kept his youngest son spoilt and charmingly ignorant of the world. Sasuke knew of the dangers out there, knew the world could be cruel, but had never been exposed to any of the hazards. The youngest Uchiha was like a scientist with so much knowledge, but still only able to draw conclusions based on others' experience.

Now they had to return Sasuke in the company of his husband. Fugaku would be livid, especially if he found out how exactly the bonding took place. He would probably do something crazy like hiring the blonde to assassinate himself. It certainly wouldn't be above him. Oh hell, they would never hear the end of it. The thought of Fugaku interrogating Naruto about all the dirty things he had done to his youngest son, all the spluttering and blushing on both parts, made Iruka fall over with fresh peals of laughter. And it was while he was laughing his head off and met Itachi's questioning gaze through his tears, he concluded that things would most certainly turn ugly before it could possibly get any better.

It was merely the joyous way of life.

* * *

Sasuke woke up with a disturbing feeling of danger in the pit of his stomach. He couldn't pinpoint the exact reason, but he was sure it was close. He would have to investigate. Throwing away the raw blanket, Sasuke popped his head out of the cave mouth. Everything seemed calm, but it was too calm. The storm had passed and still he couldn't hear a sound. There were neither birds chirping nor any animals lumbering around. He couldn't even see or hear an insect nearby. If they had disappeared, it only meant something more threatening was approaching, or worse, it was already here.

Scrambling to gather his belongings, Sasuke continuously scanned the area for any movement. He was officially experiencing the chills now. He had to make a plan. Should he continue immediately, or should assume that this something was close by and simply wait for it to go away? Ah, decisions, decisions, always the freaking decisions. It was here, right now, he was pretty certain about that. Now, the question was why it was here and what it was looking for.

A twig snapped not too far away, and Sasuke stilled. That sounded… human. Someone was here with him? Naruto? Shit, Naruto! He had completely forgotten about his insane Bonded in his moment of panic. Throwing caution to the wind, Sasuke quickly threw his meagre belongings over his shoulder and quickly headed for the closest trail that continued upward. If he were caught, he would never hear the end of it.

"Wait!" Someone shouted and Sasuke turned to face the unfamiliar voice. Unfamiliar was good. That meant they hadn't met before and he could probably come up with some lame excuse for being here and then be sent on his merry way home. It was obviously a man, despite his long hair. It was black, but looked dull compared to himself or his brother. His skin was even paler than his own and had a sickly sheen to it, although the guy seemed healthy, so it was obviously just his complexion. His clothes were unfamiliar and he carried no village symbol. Sasuke thought he might be from Tsuyu, but he would surely have remembered his… odd appearance if that was the case.

How suspicious…

"That grave, you didn't touch it?" The way he toned it, it was obvious the answer had better be a negative one, or Sasuke would soon find himself in a fight. When he only shook his head, the stranger seemed to relax a little. "My apologies," he offered, "but it is my best friend who is buried there. The grave has been left untouched since it was raised over twenty years ago, and I intend to keep it that way."

"I only slept in there for shelter. I didn't touch anything." Sasuke quickly reassured, even motioning for the man to enter the cave and check for himself if he wanted to. The man only shook his head in response and proceeded to study the youth in front of him. Sasuke became uncomfortable under such scrutiny, but he didn't want to draw more attention to himself than absolutely necessary. Besides, he didn't think the man would find him fascinating for long.

"That is the Uchiha crest, which means you can't be from here. You must be one of the lucky bonded." The man concluded and raised an eyebrow expectantly, waiting for Sasuke to elaborate for him. The raven only managed a snort. Lucky? Hardly. "Yeah, I'm apparently bonded to the loudest blonde one I've ever met," he spat.

"So you're one of the forced ones?" The lifted eyebrow twitched with interest. "I have met several of them through my time here. My name is Orochimaru. Wanderer; I go wherever I please," he added, looking quite content. "So you said a blonde one. What is his name?"

"Naruto." Sasuke replied sullenly, kicking dirt with his feet.

"Uzumaki? Ha, it's always the blonde ones," he mumbled, looking a little troubled. Sasuke tilted his head curiously. So Orochimaru knew of previous cases? That was interesting. Maybe he could help him get back to Konoha. "So, why are you out here alone? I doubt your Bonded would let you go on your own. He must be around somewhere." Orochimaru scanned the area behind Sasuke's back, obviously expecting something to leap at him any second.

"I… ran away. I'm heading for Konoha, but I'm a little lost. I've never been to these mountains before." Sasuke admitted, looking abashed. He was generally good with directions, another courtesy of his brother, but he hadn't been awake when he had been taken, and thus he had no possibility to backtrack. But if Orochimaru were a wanderer, he would certainly know his way around. It was a perfect opportunity for him to get home sooner.

"You've broken the bond then?" Orochimaru stated, looking pleased. Sasuke blinked. "Naruto said the bond can't be broken," he said, remembering Naruto's incessant naggings regarding that topic the past few days. Orochimaru frowned, and Sasuke unconsciously mirrored his facial expression. He could say what he wanted about Naruto, but the blonde had never struck Sasuke as the type to lie. Was it possible that this man knew of something not even the villagers had knowledge about?

Everyone had said it was impossible, but Sasuke had a hard time believing any of them had actually tried at all. They thought it was wonderful, and since it was so rare, they must've drawn the conclusion that everyone involved would eventually give in to… fate? How overrated. Sasuke wasn't one to be blinded by silly superstitions, and he certainly wasn't going to start now. He wanted a choice, no matter how stupid his conviction; it was the principle that mattered.

"Sure it can be broken, but it's a risky process from what I've heard."

"How? Can you do it?" Sasuke put down the weight over his shoulders to relieve his shoulder. Something told him this would be quite the conversation, so if he would have to fight, he didn't want to be slowed down unnecessarily. He dumped the bag by his feet and shifted his hands closer to the utility belt around his waist, patiently waiting for a reply.

"I can do it, no problem. But it's painful, and not everyone survives. You sure it's worth it?"

"Of course! I think it'll be easier for the both of us if the bond is broken now."

"What, no regrets? No second thoughts?" Orochimaru sounded surprised by his determination. Sasuke shook his head. Of course he had considered it, imagined it even, a life with Naruto. And when he had left the village, it wasn't with the intention of never returning either, because Naruto had stressed the importance of the bond often enough. He didn't want to leave the blonde alone. But the funny thing was that Naruto wasn't alone, not anymore since he had befriended Sakura and Kakashi. And after spending several days in the blonde's presence, Sasuke couldn't say he felt anything different toward Naruto. He did feel a remarkably strong sense of security and a high level of comfort, considering the short time they had spent together and how long it usually took for him to get used to new people, but it was nothing earth-shattering.

"So, do you need anything? Like, an ingredient or anything?" Sasuke wasn't sure if he should volunteer to collect whatever Orochimaru would need. If the seals were as complex as Orochimaru said, then perhaps he would be better off if he just stayed away. He didn't know how seals worked, had barely heard someone mention it in passing. It wasn't a common subject in Konoha. It wasn't illegal or anything. People just didn't deem it interesting enough to consider it as a part of Konoha's defence nor offence. It just wasn't clever enough according to the general public.

"Sorry kid, it doesn't work that way." Orochimaru made a move to pat his head ruefully, but Sasuke instinctively made a grab for the wrist. "I simply have to bite your neck," he explained, jerking his wrist free from Sasuke's grasp.

"Excuse me?"

"Your neck, I have to bite it."

"**Why**?"

"Have you ever wondered how a small village like Tsuyu can possibly prosper in such a violent mountain range?" Orochimaru changed the subject rather abruptly, but now that he had aired the question, Sasuke wanted to hear the answer. "I'll tell you how: seals protect the very foundation of Tsuyu. Some people, with a strong soul, can tap into an inner power of sorts. First it has to be tamed and controlled, so a physical manifestation is difficult. The only way is to use seals. And naturally, Tsuyu is protected by several of them. Only the strongest of the best is sturdy enough to protect an entire village, which means the village is protected by blood seals."

"Seals? Blood seals?"

"Yes. There are exceptions, like your own clan where some members can effortlessly create simple illusions, but if you're going for the heavy stuff, seals are the only way. Bonds are supposed to be unbreakable, and are therefore quite resilient to anything less than blood seals, and even that is a hard bargain."

"But you can do it?" Sasuke challenged, looking very sceptical.

"I can."

"Then do it," he ordered.

Orochimaru didn't need a second invitation. Before Sasuke could even comprehend that the man had moved, Orochimaru was already behind him and biting down on his neck with painful precision. Sasuke didn't even have time to shout before his unexpected assaulter had pulled back, looking ridiculously pleased for causing him pain. The man's happy countenance irked Sasuke to no end, and if it hadn't been for the fact that Orochimaru was helping him out, Sasuke would already be throwing a kunai.

"So what do I do now?" Sasuke asked, tenderly prodding the bite with a cautious finger, drawing it away to find his usually white digit tinged with an interesting shade of red. Great, the idiot had bit him deep enough to draw blood. How was he going to explain this to Naruto?

Naruto? This had nothing to do with Naruto. Sasuke shook his head to gather his wits. He was only doing the dobe a favour, so he had no reason to be upset, even if he did find out. Sasuke, however, had no intention to tell him. He could tell the blonde would have a fit if he found out. And he would probably try to figure out how to break the seal. Telling Naruto would be like defeating the purpose, and Sasuke wasn't stupid enough to tempt fate to fuck him royally over a second time.

"You just wait for the seal to show. It won't take long, a couple of hours, tops. Then it needs time to develop. That's also when the pain will make itself known. You have to be strong for this to work." The obvious insinuation that Sasuke lacked the necessary strength to complete the seal, made the raven's eyelids tick spasmodically.

"I'll be fine," he insisted, eyeing the man as he swept past him and into the cave. "Who is Jiraiya?" Sasuke questioned, following Orochimaru inside as he squatted down in front of the gravestone. "Exactly what is says here: a good friend. He was killed in these mountains and I couldn't take his body back home. If you look closely, you can find his name etched into the memorial stone in Konoha."

"How did he die?" Sasuke tried to sound contrite for the man's loss and his abrupt intrusion, but he couldn't help but ask the question that had been gnawing at him through the entire previous night.

"Extensive injuries, according to her. Personally, I believe otherwise." Orochimaru spat, looking bitter as he meticulously brushed the gravestone with gentle fingers.

"Her?" Sasuke pried, and Orochimaru visibly clenched his jaw as he spun around to glare at him. "Look kid, don't you have a place to be?" Orochimaru questioned with a pointed look in the opposite direction. "No," was the quick reply, but taking the hint, Sasuke quickly let the subject drop and instead focused on a more important matter. "About that," he continued, "how do I get to Konoha from here?"

"The best way is to follow the caves north because the foot of this mountain bottoms straight into a part of Tanzaku Gai's south-east trade routes. I bet it'll take you a day to reach. Just find the road and it's pretty straightforward from there."

"Caves?"

"Yes, the entire village is surrounded by an intricate cave system. Although there are a lot of violent storms in this area, earthquakes aren't a problem here, which make the caves safer than the paths outside."

"I didn't know," Sasuke responded with a downtrodden expression at being kept in the dark. He still couldn't help but be slightly miffed that Naruto had withheld such vital information. Had he known, Sasuke would have been miles away by now. At least he had been going in the right direction. It was a good thing Mizuki had paid attention to the assassins that frequented his shop. Sasuke was sure that without his help he would have headed straight to the sea, and a dead end.

"In the beginning of your stay, you are confined to the village for a short time before you're given more freedom. If you **behave**, you might be allowed to take on some missions later." Orochimaru languidly dragged a hand over his face, pulling down the corners of his mouth in a way that made him appear even sicklier. "But right now, hypothetically, you shouldn't have a need to know about the caves," he finished, looking at Sasuke to see if he were catching the drift. Sasuke scoffed. Of course, maybe Naruto hadn't bothered telling him because he didn't expect Sasuke to leave in the first place. But seriously, wasn't that a pretty long shot?

Sasuke's left eye twitched. Naruto, that _baka_! How dare the blonde dictate his life so easily? When he saw him again, Sasuke was going to smack him into oblivion… Thankfully, he wasn't going to see him again. Taking a deep breath, the raven put his frayed nerves at ease by thinking of how proud his mother would be for making it this far alone. Even if he met Itachi along the way to accompany him, he had still managed quite a bit on his own. That would show his father that he could be accomplished too! Yes, that would be his goal. He had to get home so he could brag.

With calmed nerves, Sasuke squatted down beside Orochimaru. "Out of curiosity, how do I remove the seal?" he asked tentatively. At his inquiry, Orochimaru laughed at him. "So you do have second thoughts?" he stated, looking smug. "It's to be expected. The bond is made to create a sense of… addiction, you can say." The man traced Sasuke's cheek with a pale finger, seemingly entranced by the young man's borderline desperation.

Sasuke pursed his lips and stood. No bloody way in hell was he going to be swayed by something so abstract as a pretend marriage caused by intuition and bad luck. "Thank you for your help," he said, and Orochimaru looked up at him from his spot on the ground. There was a hummed reply that Sasuke found rather odd, but he didn't comment. The man had been a great help, and for that Sasuke was thankful. He wasn't stupid enough to look the gift horse in the mouth. That would be plain rude.

Stepping out of the cave, Sasuke took his time to enjoy the fresh air before he picked up his discarded belongings. The heavy air was the main thing he didn't like about the caves. It was almost unbearable over longer periods. Besides, to him the caves were useless at night because he didn't know the system by heart. The further in one went, the darker it would get too. He didn't have time to explore and analyse the caves. He had to get moving! Sasuke wasn't stupid. Naruto must have been informed of his escape by now. Meaning the raven would have to move strategically in order to avoid the blonde.

Sasuke would have to reason with himself for a while. He started walking north, away from Orochimaru, following a trodden way mindlessly as he considered his options. Apparently, dead ends were something to expect, his sleeping cave was proof of that, and he would have no way to know where the caves led beforehand. Another issue was the directional challenge. How could he possibly know if he were heading north if he only had dark, cold walls of rock to navigate by. Too bad Mizuki hadn't thought of giving him a compass. Wouldn't it be safer for him if he continued travelling aboveground instead? Another important factor to take into consideration was what Naruto expected him to do. If he thought Sasuke had discovered the cave system, then his safest bet would be to stay away. Of course, it wouldn't be the first time Naruto had underestimated him, so he could very well be searching for him on the paths.

The black-haired youth was startled out of his reverie when a twig snapped behind him and a heavy hand came down on his shoulder. "You are in **such** trouble," a chilling voice whispered straight into his ear. Had Sasuke been a lesser man, he would've fainted. Although his shoulders were tense, he forced his stance to relax. Turning around to face the enraged blonde, Sasuke didn't think twice when he shot his fist straight at Naruto's stomach. However, his eyes widened to the size of saucers when his fist stopped by itself inches from its intended target.

Gentle fingers wrapped themselves around his clenched fist and pulled his hand away. "You can't hurt me." Naruto sighed as if this was a knowledge that should've been instilled in him since his birth. Sasuke was about to speak his mind, loudly, when a faint throbbing in his neck rendered him silent. Hoping Naruto wouldn't see; Sasuke quickly turned that specific side of his neck away from the blonde, forcing him to stand diagonally across Naruto.

"What's with you?" A hand felt his forehead worriedly and creased eyebrows expressed the dismay at finding the skin warm to the touch. "You managed to catch a cold in the span of one single day?" was the unimpressed comment as Naruto pushed Sasuke to the ground so he could settle down. Unsettlingly willing, Sasuke sat down by a tree so he could support his back against the trunk. He muttered something in reply that possibly ended with "dobe", but Naruto didn't have the heart to ask him to repeat. Sasuke had already closed his eyes. It didn't take long for the boy to enter a slumbering state, and Naruto took the opportunity for what it was.

Taking a firm hold of the raven, he quickly heaved the sleeping male onto his chest. Snuggled up against him with his chin resting comfortably on the top of Sasuke's head, Naruto could feel some of his anger ebb away. Not that the male in his lap wouldn't get an earful when he woke up, but right now he wanted Sasuke to gather energy for their trek back to the camp. Besides, it was rather nice to sit like this without the usually heavy silence hovering over them. He was glad that they still had an hour to spare before they would have to go.

When in this state of bliss, for Naruto it felt like months since he had been stomping, yes, stomping, through the dank caves on his way to retrieve Sasuke. He had been absolutely furious. Granted, in hindsight, he conceded that assuming Sasuke would docilely allow himself to be left behind seemed like a pretty farfetched notion. However, to do something so ridiculously stupid as venturing into the mountains alone, well, that was just beyond him. If it hadn't been for the very obvious fact that his happiness depended on the black-haired boy, because he most definitely was a boy, then Naruto would have killed him on sight. Luckily for the both of them, Sasuke hadn't gotten far. Not that it would have affected his search much anyway. Sasuke had spent several days with him before Naruto had left, so the bond had had enough time to manifest properly.

When he had stepped out of the cave, Naruto had quickly noticed the wet ground and small ponds of fresh rain. Judging by the soggy ground, Naruto had deduced that if he just headed in the general direction of Tsuyu, he would sooner or later stumble upon a rather soaked little Uchiha. And that idea had suited him just fine then, but right now though, he wasn't so sure. If Sasuke had such a weak immune system that even one night in a damp place could make him ill, Naruto would have to take safety precautions in the future. He wouldn't have his raven sick for such minor reasons.

Naruto was content to let Sasuke sleep, safely cuddled in his lap, but he was forced to give him a nudge when he realised the sun stood high in the sky. Itachi didn't strike him as the most patient guy, so if he didn't want him going ballistic in Tsuyu, they would have to get moving. "Sasuke, wake up." Naruto gave his lover another push, causing Sasuke to mutter something before burying his head deeper into Naruto's shoulder. Now, the blonde had to admit that the sight was adorable, and hadn't it been for the fact that he was supposed to be pissed, the cute yawn that followed would have been his undoing and allowed Sasuke to sleep a little longer. Unfortunately, Naruto was mad, and with knitted eyebrows he prodded the raven until his eyes opened blearily to stare at him.

"Teme! Our village is called Tsuyu for a reason," the blonde chided as soon as Sasuke was reasonably coherent. Naruto beat the urge to give Sasuke a good old, kinky spanking for his dare, but reminded himself that they had to get going. Instead he settled himself by grabbing him by the upper arms and squeezing the air out of him in a bone-crushing hug. With eyes tightly shut, he nuzzled Sasuke's chest with great affection. "We have only one great mountain passage that faces the sea. We frequently experience strong winds and violent storms. Our village has shields to protect against the weather, but if you're up in the mountains, you're in quite the nifty situation," he explained in a calmer voice.

"I know," was the stiff reply, and Naruto stopped his Sasuke-cuddling to stare at him questioningly. He really could keep nothing from his raven. Sasuke must've asked Sakura on one of his visits. Remembering what he came for, Naruto quickly helped Sasuke stand before he bent and picked up the bag the young man had brought with him. "We have to go," he urged, "Your brother wants to see you." Eyes wide and eager, Sasuke spun around and grabbed his shoulder with a disbelieving enthusiasm. "Itachi is here?" he asked brightly. Naruto nodded hesitantly, surprised by the sudden change in personality. "Take me to him." Sasuke pleaded, tugging his arm demandingly. And Naruto, unable to deny a compliant mate, simply pointed at the closest cave entrance and motioned for the raven to start walking. And Sasuke practically bounced on his feet as he disappeared into the cave, and Naruto had to run after him to not lose sight of the blue back as it was swallowed by darkness.

"You do know we have some talking to do, right?" Naruto said tersely. Sasuke's apparently good mood was dragging him down. The raven in front of him halted and turned to face the blonde. His trademark scowl was in place and Naruto stopped himself from sighing with relief. Now he was seeing the Sasuke he had become accustomed to and the sight pleased him greatly. "I don't like the bond." Sasuke gritted out through clenched teeth, "I want to choose for myself, not be influenced by something as nutty as fate. I don't want to like you." Naruto nodded understandingly, pleased because this was the first time Sasuke had admitted there was something between them and stated his feelings. Now the only thing left for him to do was to help Sasuke get the facts right.

"Although this bond is of the romantic type, like every other bond, it can't create illusions." Naruto corrected gently, surprised by Sasuke's sudden willingness to share. "If you feel an attraction toward me, it is your own doing and the bond is merely encouraging your emotions. Don't go blaming the world for what you consider your own shortcomings. Having an interest in me isn't a sin, you know," he scolded lightly, taking the raven's hand in his own as the cave got darker.

The darkness wasn't much of an issue for Naruto as he had played hide and seek inside these caves with Kakashi as a child (2). He most certainly knew the way by heart, but for Sasuke's comfort, he opted for the more traditional way. Instead of going through the caves in the dark, Naruto searched the walls for the hidden entrance to the cave's storage room. For every other kilometre in specific locations throughout the entire cave system, the chieftain had demanded a storage room in case of emergency and for safe travelling. The room was equipped with basic healing kits, dried food, water containers and extra tents. What was even more important was the huge amount of torches safely stocked in waterproof crates. Having the foresight to see the necessity of properly lighting the caves when he returned with Sasuke, Naruto had already fished out a torch and placed it by the entrance of the room. The entrance wasn't blocked, but still well hidden since it blended in with the wall from all angles.

Bending down to pick up the flambeau, he watched from the corner of his eye as Sasuke ransacked his bag for something. When he stood, the raven had already taken the torch and was currently in the process of lighting it with a match. With the torch burning, Sasuke could finally see more than blurred contours again, and he took his time marvelling at the many provisions stored in the small room. This village really had everything covered. It was obvious that the caves under no circumstances met the expectations of minimal living conditions, but it certainly had everything necessary for longer journeys.

Sasuke was impressed.

They continued walking in silence, but at a much quicker pace than before. Sasuke understood; his brother wasn't always as patient as his calm exterior might indicate. Naruto had several times made a sort of noise in the back of his throat before promptly shutting himself up. He was obviously trying to pick up the conversation where they had previously left it. "It doesn't do much, the bond I mean. It doesn't really change anything."

"If it doesn't really make any difference, why bother to bond?" Sasuke asked sourly ahead of him.

"It's complicated. I doubt you will understand the extent of our situation. Tsuyu is a village of assassins. It's a lonely profession. I can't really depend on anyone. But as my Bonded, you're different. You can run from me, hit me and taunt me all you want, but you can never betray me. For an assassin, a partner who could never hurt you in such a way, it's our only true sanctuary."

"Naruto, that's the most beautiful load of sap you've ever spewed." Sasuke mocked, looking offended because Naruto wasn't traumatised by the prospect of sharing the future with another. "This is deep stuff, dobe," he continued seriously, smirking with his back to the blonde. Naruto was torn between responding to Sasuke's light banter or being hurt by the obvious dismissal of his emotions. The raven didn't give him a chance, despite his best efforts to explain and be there for him.

What a damn annoying bastard his mate truly was, but Naruto adored him (3).

* * *

"Is that... porn?" Shisui bent forward to peek over the book cover, undeniably intrigued, but Kakashi had already shut the book with a resounding snap and a glare. Quick to heed the warning, Shisui was already on the other side of the camp before Kakashi had the time to speak. Bored out of his mind, Shisui wandered off to Iruka's corner of the plateau. Iruka had settled down on the rock that the blonde had occupied before he'd left. Right now the brunette was currently in the company of the pink-haired girl. Sakura, was it? Crinkling his nose, Shisui slumped down by Iruka's feet, crossed his arms over the man's legs so he could rest his head on his arms, and proceeded to stare at up at his comrade pleadingly.

With Itachi hiding away in Kakashi's tent to brood, no one had figured out how Itachi had convinced the silver-haired man to let him borrow it, Iruka easily read the silently conveyed message. He had to admit he shared his best friend's sentiments. Iruka was getting restless as well and wanted to get moving. Borders be damned. "If the blonde can't find Sasuke, we have wasted too much time here already." Shisui whispered, throwing shifty glances in Sakura's direction as he spoke, assessing her reaction.

"Naruto knows where Sasuke is. The bond between them is strong enough to locate Sasuke wherever he may be."

"How can you be so sure?"

"It's practically the only thing that kind of bond can do. It brings a heightened sense of awareness to the other's presence. Old couples have claimed they received empathic powers, but it might just be a result of all the time spent together." Iruka shrugged dismissively. "Still, a mating is like marriage taken to a whole new level. You become more aware of your partner and the emotions are stronger with bonded couples compared to married people. It does not, however, make you depend on your other mate, and you can live perfectly well without a bond."

"Then why the bloody hell would anyone bother?"

"Bonded couples are incapable of hurting each other. Sasuke could never fight Naruto if it was his intention to kill him. He would experience a complete body lock since the brain priorities the other partner no matter what. That's why the village is so intent on keeping the couples in Tsuyu. Can you imagine what would happen if you pitted a couple against each other? Tsuyu's defence would crumble if the enemy sent Bonded people to fight their intended ones. It would be an all-out war. Even if one could kill another's Bonded, the partner would never allow it. It would be a massacre."

"That makes it sound even worse. Why give yourself such an obvious weakness?" Shisui looked decidedly unimpressed and Iruka sighed. No, he hadn't expected Shisui to understand, but he had hoped the man would catch the gist of it. "It can't be put into words, Shisui, the love and adoration you would feel for someone who was made for you." Iruka explained mildly, and Shisui's eyes lit up in fascination. Chuckling, Iruka found it endearing that even a battle-hardened man like Shisui could find such childish joy in the concept of destined love.

"How can you know so much?" Sakura butted in from the sideline, cocking her head curiously as she stared at Iruka. She had been listening with sharp ears, trying to collect as much information from the conversation as possible.

"My mother used to tell me stories." Iruka indulged her unwillingly, not comfortable talking about his parents to strangers.

"How come she knew so much?" Sakura continued. By the way Shisui bristled in his lap, Iruka could tell he was getting annoyed on his behalf. Instead he gave the younger man a pat on the head, much like he would a dog, with the silent message to calm down. Iruka saw no need to make enemies of them yet before the blonde returned. Besides, it would surely piss Itachi off if he had to break up a fight between one of his best friends and a pink boxer. Shisui had discovered early in their little meeting that the smaller girl knew how to pack a punch, and his stomach was still in the process of sporting the resulting bruises. Shisui considered it a disgrace to his own reputation, but even Itachi had cracked a smile when he had been told the story.

"She was from Tsuyu." Iruka replied briskly. At Sakura's stunned expression, the brunette opened his mouth to elaborate, but instead he found himself trailing off when a shadow fell over his best friend's kneeling form.

"What's going on here?" Kakashi put an inquisitive hand on Shisui's shoulder, eyes narrowed in on the Uchiha currently using Iruka's lap as a Wailing Wall. Sakura, surprised by her usually lonesome colleague's burst of interest, blinked owlishly up at the man before her as Iruka voiced their concern regarding the situation. Sakura took her time to take in the scene before her. With Shisui placed so peculiarly in the other man's lap, the entire thing would have appeared strangely intimate if it wasn't for Kakashi towering over the two. From the way she looked at it, Sakura almost fooled herself to believe that Kakashi was bothered by the closeness the intruders shared. This was a very odd discovery indeed as the silver-haired assassin had never before displayed any particular interest in outsiders.

"Ah, don't worry about that," Kakashi replied to Iruka when the man was done explaining himself. Still rather hesitant, Iruka looked down to continue his discussion with Shisui, but was taken off guard when the silver-haired man squeezed Shisui's shoulder in a friendly manner and bent down to whisper something in his ear. When he was done, Shisui had already scrambled up on his feet and was in the process of dragging Kakashi away from the rest of the crowd. Iruka couldn't help but feel very suspicious when Kakashi pulled out a horrifyingly orange-coloured book from his vest and solemnly handed it to Shisui. The man was balancing precariously on his toe balls in his eagerness to open the book, and when he finally managed to settle himself down, Iruka noticed with mixed emotions the serene expression on Shisui's face.

Iruka swallowed thickly with anxiety. Only three things could relieve Shisui from his boredom, and three things only. Number 1: Itachi, number 2: violence, number 3: sex. So, deductive reasoning told him that Itachi was still in the tent and Shisui obviously wasn't fighting, which only left him with one option. _'So in other words,'_ Iruka concluded, _'I don't want to know what's in that book.'_ He got the shivers just thinking of the possible contents in that book.

No, Iruka wasn't a man who practiced celibacy; he was just a man of great privacy.

His thoughts were rudely interrupted when something tackled him unsuspectingly. Following the laws of nature, Iruka was sent sprawling by the force of impact, his arms automatically wrapping themselves around the bundle clinging at his waist. Dazed, he thought he could feel a distinct nose nuzzle into his vest fervently. "Iruka!" someone muttered like a desperate mantra, and he thought he heard Shisui say something about a "damned brat" with undeniable fondness.

Sasuke?

Iruka pushed the raven off him so he could take a better look. Sasuke was beaming up at him, still with a firm hold on his vest. Naruto was still by the cave entrance, observing the reunion with a slight smile. Muffled curses could be heard from Kakashi's tent as Itachi poked his head out to take a gander at the commotion outside. His eyes went wide as they landed on the familiar shape of his little brother, and when Sasuke discovered Itachi's presence, he immediately launched a new hugging rocket.

"Itachi!" he shouted gleefully, and one could wonder how long it really had been since they had last seen each other. Itachi, not one to ruin his little brother's good mood, simply wrapped his arms around his precious _otouto_ as his nerves finally calmed down enough so he could breathe properly again. Not one to get caught in the moment, Itachi refrained himself from repeating his brother's name out loud like Sasuke was currently doing, but the ginger hand currently massaging his brother's scalp could not be mistaken. Itachi had found what was needed to revert back to his old, controlled self.

"…Sometimes you can't help but wonder who the brat's lover really is." Shisui commented dryly as he took in the scene with a satisfied nod.

By the time Sasuke found himself capable of letting his brother go, Naruto had already managed to light a fire and prepare a small meal. No one realised they were starving until a delicious smell wafted through the air and tickled their noses persistently. With both sides appeased and calm, they gathered around the fire, listening to Sasuke relaying in great detail his latest adventure to his brother.

Naruto showed signs of nervousness whenever Sasuke homed in on the story of his abduction. To his great relief, however, Sasuke seemed rather reluctant to admit he had fallen for such simple taunts, that he avoided the subject as much as possible. It turned the meal into a rather pleasant affair, despite the fact that no one had come to any solution yet about what to do. It was obvious that Itachi was to bring his brother home, but the village wasn't likely to allow that to happen.

"Do any of you know of a man named Jiraiya?" Sasuke asked suddenly with a scrunched nose, looking more at Itachi and Iruka than anyone else. He obviously expected to get his desired answer from them. With Itachi shrugging, Sasuke was left with the brunette to deign him with a favourable reply. Iruka didn't disappoint. "Now that you mention it, I think my parents mentioned him several times when I was younger. Jiraiya was a highly regarded Konoha ninja once, but I think he's dead now."

"He **is** dead," confirmed Sasuke, "I found his grave in one of the caves near the village. Orochimaru said he had been killed." Itachi stopped eating, staring down sharply on his little brother instead. Noticing the sudden drop in atmosphere, Sasuke stopped eating as well. "Orochimaru?" Itachi repeated in a low voice, his lips thinning when Sasuke nodded. "What did he want?"

"He was just checking on the grave."

"He didn't hurt you?" Shisui asked, scrutinising him from head to toe from where he sat.

"No, why would he?" Sasuke inquired quite puzzled, squirming under the many stares.

"The correct phrasing is: Why would he not?" Shisui continued, looking rather horrified at the prospect of Sasuke being in the near vicinity of a potentially dangerous man. Itachi seemed to share his opinion as he put down his food bowl and stood up with the intent to give Sasuke a thorough inspection. "Orochimaru is a missing-nin from Konoha." Iruka elaborated for the greatly confused Sasuke, who couldn't for the life of him understand all the fuss and for once took hold of his brother's arm and yanked him back down again in sheer desperation.

"He is? To me he said he was a wanderer." Sasuke informed, feeling a bit fooled. "And Itachi, I'm fine. The guy didn't touch me," he told his brother, excluding the vampire part lest his brother would suffer a conniption.

"Which is a pretty word for missing-nin." Shisui interjected, looking dumbfounded by Sasuke's obvious lack of self-preservation.

"This changes things." Iruka drawled slowly, deep in thought. "If he regularly visits the grave, then we know where to ambush him," he declared, looking very pleased with himself for coming to this conclusion. Shisui threw a dirty glare at the three locals in turn as he pointed out the obvious. "We would need permission to cross the borders," he reminded darkly, and the truth of his statement made the atmosphere even more dismal.

A heavy silence fell over the crowd before Kakashi sighed heavily. "Fine, we'll take you to Tsunade," he consented, "blindfolded," he quickly added as an afterthought. Understanding the weight of the compromise and the great show of trust, Itachi was quick to agree. Sasuke was only delighted by the prospect of spending even more time with his brother. Itachi would surely help him with his Naruto problem as well. Or maybe Iruka had some good ideas on how to best handle the situation?

After taking this into consideration and giving it some serious thought, Sasuke soon cornered Iruka when everyone else was busy setting up a comfortable sleeping arrangement. Sasuke knew he was doomed to share the one-man tent with Naruto, so he didn't even bother participating in the discussion. Instead he told the entire story from how it began in Konoha to when he woke up in Tsuyu. His runaway act was not something he deemed necessary to tell in detail. Iruka was patient and understanding when he listened, never once trying to break in, and only frowning when Sasuke told him how his first intimate encounter had went. However, when Sasuke stopped talking, Iruka was eyeing the younger man with mixed emotions.

Giving Sasuke's shoulder an assuring squeeze, Iruka looked solemn as he planned his next words carefully. "To me, Sasuke, it sounds like you've considered every option possible on how you can ignore the existence of the bond," he started, ruffling the raven hair affectionately, "It can't be said that you haven't tried, Sasuke. But have you ever thought of how you can actually make it work?" he questioned blandly, and judging by the way Sasuke stiffened, he had hit the nail dead-on.

"B- but Iruka," Sasuke spluttered, desperately tugging at the lapels of the man's vest, "I can't live the rest of my life isolated in some far-away mountain like a good, little wife," he protested. And Iruka drew the connection immediately. It was kind of sweet actually, how fond Sasuke was of his home. It wasn't even the bond itself that worried the man; Iruka knew it was something the raven would eventually ease into if he gave himself time. However, the thought that Sasuke might never see Konoha again, that freaked him out. _'Ah, Itachi's little brother is just the most precious little thing,'_ Iruka cooed silently in his mind, ignoring the want to just attack the guy and give him a noogie. No, he had to stay focused.

"Listen, as the **wife**," Iruka expertly suppressed his laughter, "in this relationship, Naruto can be overbearing in some situations. But he knows you can fend for yourself, and as soon as you settle down, I'm sure he'll let you do as you please. It was wrong of him to bring you here without your consent, but you must see this from his perspective too. From what you've told me, I gather you haven't exactly made an effort to make things easier for him or tried to gain his trust. It's partly your fault as well." Iruka admonished gently.

Fidgeting under the stern gaze, Sasuke supposed Iruka had a point. A simple reason for that could be that he now had familiar people to confide in as well. It was reassuring for him to hear that things could work out between him and Naruto from someone whom he trusted. And he definitely believed in Iruka. The man had given him the fatherly affection Fugaku had only showered Itachi with. Fugaku hadn't neglected Sasuke in any way regarding general living conditions, but Sasuke felt a bit slighted by the apparent lack of approval in his father's eyes whenever he looked at him.

"Right, thanks." Sasuke smiled and he even gave Iruka a friendly shove to show his appreciation. This time Iruka really let the laughter loose. The little Sasuke from way back always used to hug someone to show his gratitude. The fact that he had now upgraded the cute move to a friendly punch in the shoulder made Iruka all nostalgic. Following the black-haired male back to the tents, Iruka soon raised an eyebrow when he discovered the new sleeping arrangements. Naruto and Sasuke would indubitably be sharing a tent together, while Sakura, as the only girl, was entitled to her privacy. Kakashi had fished up a spare tent from one of the storage rooms close by, and he had handed it to Shisui and Itachi.

Now, the big question was where the hell Iruka was supposed to sleep.

His answer came when Kakashi walked up to him and lazily pointed in the general direction of his own tent. Iruka paled. Why on earth had he been paired up with that pervert? Mentally noting that Shisui and Itachi owed him big time for this, Iruka stomped loudly over to the tent and looked down at it with a grim expression. He was not going to make a scene! Admittedly, he was the most patient one of the trio and possibly the best candidate to team up with a potential pervert as bunkmate, but still. Without a word, he shoved the tent flaps aside and entered the stuffed room. Quickly crawling under the blanket and huddling close to one side, Iruka had already dozed off when Kakashi entered and went to sleep beside him.

Sasuke couldn't fall asleep, despite his very comfortable position spooned up against Naruto and his tiredness. When the raven had settled down to sleep, he had heeded Iruka's advice and tentatively wormed an arm over Naruto's waist and snuggled closer to the tanned male. Of course, it was done under the pretence of being cold. When Naruto had simply raised an eyebrow at his ridiculous excuse, Sasuke had simply glared at him, abashedly closing his eyes.

He had felt Naruto shift around a lot, before warm fingers had wrapped themselves around him and hoisted him up so he was nicely occupying the blonde's chest. "It's warmer here where my heart is," the blonde had explained with a quick kiss to the mop of black hair, and Sasuke had been too flushed to give an adequate reply. And when Naruto had promptly fallen asleep, Sasuke had even dared to trace the chest with his fingers, slowly familiarising himself with the man he was sleeping on. He had quickly stopped though, not wanting Naruto to wake up and believe he was getting frisky. Naruto had shifted Sasuke around so much during the last hour that they were now facing front to back.

Right now though, the blonde was snoring softly.

It was nice, and Sasuke felt more at home right in this moment than he had felt in a long time.

Halfway into dreamland, Sasuke was aroused because his whole upper body was itching. With a lot of discipline, he managed to ignore the need to itch back until the feeling was irrepressible. By then the itch had subsided, replaced by an adamant sting similar to sunburn. It was then decided that this discomfort could not be ignored any further, and so Sasuke forced his sleepy eyes to open so he could scratch his arm. He had to see where he moved his limbs to avoid possibly embarrassing situations later on. It would be bad if he happened to touch Naruto in inappropriate places, especially if he hadn't even meant to.

Pulling up his left sleeve, Sasuke was surprised to feel his skin hot to the touch. No wonder it was bothering him then. Pulling his arms from under the blanket, Sasuke was startled to see small, black swirls peeking out from under the soft material of his shirt. Sasuke frantically pushed the sleeve further up over his elbow and brought the arm to his face for a closer inspection. In the dim light, it looked like an entire horde of small, inky black snails were having a field day on his upper arm. Wondering if the seal had spread other places, Sasuke carefully untangled himself from his… lover… and silently slipped outside.

In the moonlight, it was easier to double-check the marks on his arm. So far it had only spread to his left arm, from shoulder to elbow, but Sasuke didn't think for a minute that it would stick to one arm only. A little worried about the possible repercussions and unpleasant side effects, Sasuke was eager to examine his neck. He couldn't see much with his head firmly attached to his shoulders, and despite the necessity, Sasuke found himself bothered by that particular fact.

He would just have to improvise then.

Taking a polished kunai from his utility belt, Sasuke took off his shirt and held the weapon behind his neck as he bent his head to look into the blade. Using the blade as a mirror, he craned his neck and trailed the black seal with his eyes, following the patterns away from his neck and over his shoulder blades. Where Orochimaru had bit him, Sasuke could see three _tomoe_ circled in with a thin, black ring. From there…

His observations left him with no doubts.

The seal had spread.

Well, fuck.

* * *

_Quick dictionary:_

_Kanzashi: Japanese hairpin with mainly defensive purposes in battle_

_Baka: Idiot_

_Otouto: Little/Younger brother_

_Tomoe: A Japanese abstract shape that resembles a comma or the usual form of magatama. Fact taken from Narutopedia. Look up Sasuke's Cursed Seal of Heaven for pictures. The canon version looks exactly the same, except that Orochimaru's original seal only consists of the three tomoe._

(1) This was a belief of the ancient Egyptians. If you disfigured the face of a mummy, the person couldn't pass into the afterlife because his face was unrecognisable and thus he no longer had an identity. No, Kakashi is not specifically religious or anything in this story, I just like it when he has his quirks.

(2) Kakashi has taken Iruka's role in Naruto's childhood since Iruka hasn't met Naruto until now in this story. So yes, please imagine Kakashi looking for Naruto in dank caves while reading his perverted Icha Icha Paradise. Talk about multi-tasking and night vision.

(3) I kind of imagine him as the doting type with a backbone. Does that make any sense to you? Naruto is very patient with his loved ones, but if he snaps, he snaps. And trust me, he'll snap.

* * *

Ha, another chapter up. Next chapter should be up sometime after the summer months. Check out my profile for more info after **August has passed**. This is my last year in high school and I have four exams coming up, as well as I need to decide what to do with my life. In other words, I'm busy.

Oh, and most of the weapons are taken from Assassin's Creed. Yeah, I know, props for originality. But it's not like you can't find them anywhere else. All you have to do is google. But you know, the weapons from the game suit my characters since the name of the game is **Assassin**'s Creed anyway.

Next chapter contains more NaruSasu lime. No, Sasuke does not suffer from a brother complex, although he is pretty close. Don't worry, Sasuke will realise what a wonderful piece of hunk he's managed to sink his claws into eventually, he just needs to suffer a bit first. After all, love hurts! Next lemon is first in chapter 4. I am, however, considering writing some KakaIru, it will either way be hinted at, but I don't know how long Kakashi can have the patience of a saint with something as delectable as Iruka flittering around. Also, in the next chapter the origin of Tsuyu will be revealed, although I don't think it's that much of a shocker.

Either way, thanks for reading!

**NB! **I will take up 2 things before I shut up… The second one isn't that important, but please read the first one because I would like your opinion.

1: One of my reviewers asked if this story would contain mpreg later on. I admit that mpreg is one of my many fetishes (as long as it's written within reason). However, as an answer to the question: **No**. It was not a part of my original idea and therefore it doesn't fit into my overall plan for this story. Not even the time span is long enough, so should I add it then there would be no actual birth or I would have to do a time skip. So no…

2: It has come to my attention that in this story, Sasuke is shorter than Naruto. Though most of you don't particularly care, I'm here to defend myself... Yes, defend my good name and honour. So, it's like this. We authors like putting adjectives in front of nouns because it spices the story, and adjectives like 'small' and 'tall' are unavoidable. Now, Sasuke would be 2 cm taller than Naruto if his height remains unchanged and totally canon. However, this is not common knowledge to every Naruto fan out there, so should I ever happen to write: "Naruto pulled the taller male toward him", then 1) Naruto does not come off as the seme, and 2) you begin to wonder how much taller Sasuke is. Because, you know, if he were a head taller, it just wouldn't look as cute, at least not in my book.

And then, if I should define the actual difference in height, I would have to write something like: "Naruto pulled the 2 cm taller male toward him", and then you would most likely go 'what the fuck', because that would be totally irrelevant to the story. And more importantly, Naruto wouldn't be able to pat his adorable uke's head and then my day would be ruined. And I can't exactly get Kakashi to do it because this is a NaruSasu after all, and he's busy doing... correction, busy with Iruka. You see where I'm going with this? So Sasuke is completely uke-ified in my mind, height and all! And there is nothing you can say or do to convince me- (Sasuke drops down silently and knocks P-Ys over the head with a frying pan, Naruto quickly clicks the 'add chapter' button while Kakashi obliviously reads his porn... eh... guards the door)

P-Ys


	3. Relative

_A very big thank you to: Antiquity Dolls, Azh Hikari, Dragon77, Akenhod, xXMewzikLuverXx, force majeur, sasunaru8080, Eztli, Hot-Emo-Athiest, unique94chick, Bacontheft, FMA-lover16, Sheridann, Sasuke Uzumaki 83, niceladysakura, for reviewing!_

And, _force majeur_, of course it's weird that the new seal has no effect on the bond between Sasuke and Naruto. Weird indeed…

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto and no money comes from this. I plan to though. It's a part of my plan for world domination, but don't tell anyone.

**Notes:** I dropped the promised NaruSasu lime for some KakaIru action instead. Rejoice! Or cry. It's up to you… I had to cut it short though as I'm not sure where the line goes between explicit and non-explicit sex. Right now is not the time to break the rating rules, but I will figure it out before the next chapter comes up. And FYI, since Kakashi doesn't even know what Sharingan is, he will not be covering his left eye.

'_Thoughts'_

"_Speech from the past"_

**Emphasis on a word**

_The word can be found in the dictionary on the bottom of this page_

* * *

_**Chapter 3: Relative (a thing having a relation to or connection with or necessary dependence on another thing)**_

Sasuke lowered the kunai with a pale countenance. His mind was racing, desperately trying to come up with an adequate solution to his newfound problem. Naruto wasn't stupid! There was no way in hell he would be able to explain the black markings if he were caught. Naruto had at least some basic knowledge about seals and it was game over should he discuss it with Kakashi. Naruto would find a way to break the seal and strengthen the bond. And then Naruto would probably chain him down to a bed as his newest security measure.

Sasuke was panicking.

Why the hell did he like arm covers and t-shirts? Why hadn't he picked something with long sleeves? Anything! Orochimaru had said it would be a painful experience… Right now it was just a downright bother. A warning would have been nice. Or better yet, bandages to cover it up. This was a freaking suicide mission! Naruto would skin him alive and then all his efforts would have been for naught. That was a really bitter thought! Pulling uncomfortably on his arm covers in a vain attempt to hide his elbows, Sasuke was struck with this marvellously brilliant idea. It might even make Naruto less suspicious of him, and Iruka could pat his head for trying to communicate with his Bonded like a true adult.

Sneaking back to the tent, Sasuke quickly snuck under the blankets again. As soon as he was comfortable, he assessed the blonde beside him, carefully analysing the best way to approach the sleeping man. After weighing his options, Sasuke had to admit that the best way was probably to act coy. Well, he was already really uncomfortable and the seal was acting up again, starting a new bout of discomfort. Stretching out a tentative hand, Sasuke gently prodded the blonde's side. The blonde would hopefully be too sleepy to bother with him more than what was absolutely necessary.

Naruto frowned when Sasuke's insistent prodding never ceased. He rolled over the face the raven-haired man and whispered a muffled "what?" as he opened a bleary eye to the world for Sasuke to focus on. "Naruto, I'm cold," the youngest Uchiha replied quietly, shivering for added effect, "Can I borrow your jacket?" he finished, trying his best to look as desperate as he was. Naruto was silent for a moment as the words were processed in his brain before he clumsily shrugged off his jacket in the small space and tossed it in Sasuke's general direction. "Thanks," Sasuke muttered gratefully as he grabbed the horrible orange-coloured jacket as if it was a lifesaver. Let it not be forgotten that it actually was Sasuke's currently only lifesaver, and for that, Sasuke could admit he owed the blonde a small one now, although he would never tell anyone that.

Slipping the jacket on as quietly as possible and hastily raising the collar, Sasuke failed to notice the blonde staring at him in the dark. Naruto was curious as to why Sasuke had become so… cuddly all of a sudden. Willingly snuggling into him before going to sleep and borrowing his horribly orange jacket because he was cold. It really was as if he were compensating for something, overcompensating perhaps, as if he needed to apologise for a misdeed. Naruto had to be brain-dead if that thought didn't get the wheels in his mind turning. He wasn't stupid or ignorant like most of the villagers presumed. Naruto just didn't care about the general public enough to pay them any attention. Sasuke, on the other hand, was a completely different matter. Sasuke was someone important. He was a person worth noticing and keeping an eye on, especially considering his dangerous knack for finding trouble of the most peculiar kind.

And Naruto dreaded what Sasuke possibly could have done this time. At least he was alive. That would have to count for something. And Naruto very much doubted his Bonded would die during the night, so he could ponder about this on the way back to the village. He needed to sleep, especially now with the oldest Uchiha sleeping only a few feet away, ready to pummel him into oblivion should he so much as nick his beloved's skin. Thankful for what little peace Fate had decided to bless him with, Naruto contently snaked his arm to rest over Sasuke's chest, tugging his orange jacket closer to the lithe body in his arms, willing it to give as much warmth as possible.

With the raven safely tucked in his arms, Naruto snoozed off with a smile.

* * *

"I've shredded my tent for this!" Sakura protested hotly, holding up three carefully cut blindfolds to emphasise her point.

As she had been put to the task of finding suitable blindfolds, Iruka had carefully raised the question if it was honestly necessary to blindfold anyone. As he pointed out, his parents had informed him in great detail of Tsuyu's exact location anyway. No, Iruka did not know the way, per se, but he did have enough knowledge to figure it out. And as Kakashi had seemed to seriously contemplate this argument, Sakura had already blown a fuse. From the short time in her company, Sasuke knew of her volatile temper and settled down on a rock to watch the show with smug eyes. It was a lot funnier when he wasn't on the receiving end of one of her hissy fits.

With a groan, Naruto sat down where he stood, knowing the departure would be severely delayed if no one interfered right away. Shisui came to the rescue when he cheerfully suggested that only he and Itachi could be blindfolded. That way Iruka could keep an eye on them in case someone decided to send them over a cliff, as he so eloquently put it. Satisfied with this solution, Kakashi agreed, motioning for Sakura to cover their eyes. Feeling particularly spiteful and still a little sullen, Sakura viciously tugged the makeshift blindfold with unnecessary force as she tied it. With a smirk, Sasuke had to admire Shisui's stoic silence, despite his occasional flinching.

Now ready to leave, Iruka took Shisui by the elbow, patiently guiding him into the cave. Sasuke was the only one brave enough to step up beside his brother and tug him in the general direction of the cave opening. Knowing his brother's incessant need for independence, Sasuke guided him as discreetly as possible, leaving Itachi mostly to his own senses and a small portion of luck. Of course, Sasuke knew Itachi would much rather accept his brother's help than to risk falling face-first in front of Naruto.

They travelled in companionable silence, leaving each other to their own thoughts. Sasuke's mind was still racing, trying to look as inconspicuous as possible. When Naruto had stared at him, still in a black t-shirt only, silently asking for his jacket, Sasuke had quickly feigned a major cough and made sniffling sounds to draw the blonde's attention elsewhere. It had worked, and Naruto had quickly started fussing, ordering Sasuke to inform him right away should he feel faint. Sasuke thought it was a sweet thought, but highly unnecessary. He hadn't had a cold in years, but the only one with that knowledge was his brother, and Sasuke could always persuade him to believe he was merely bonding with his… someone.

When they finally stepped out of the cave several hours later, Kakashi made an abrupt halt and stopped the entire party from proceeding. Frowning, Sasuke watched the bustling life below as the market in Tsuyu practically boiled with people. They were so far away they looked like tiny ants. Sasuke got a sudden urge to step on them… But that wouldn't have been very nice and Naruto would probably not approve. Actually, it was unlikely anyone would approve but Sasuke.

"Why have we stopped?" Shisui asked, turning his head at the smallest sound with a look of suspicion.

"The Seals of Tsuyu won't let you pass that easily, boy." Kakashi chided, looking at the blindfolded man sternly as if this was common knowledge, even to outsiders.

"You don't have to worry. All we require is a drop of blood," Naruto explained, "It's necessary so the seals recognise you as friends rather than foes. It's a simple matter of blood exchange really," he clarified as Kakashi used a sharpened kunai to draw out small amounts of blood from each of the three's index finger. "All he has to do is mix your blood with the blood of someone already under the protection of the seals. As long as it's an exchange done willingly, the seals will accept the new blood."

"That sounds ridiculously easy." Itachi commented flatly, clearly unimpressed.

"It's only a temporary solution. You need permission from the village chieftain for the acceptance to be permanent, and then you have to go through a more intricate ritual. You don't want to trespass, trust me." Sakura informed succinctly, still a little miffed by the situation. Not only were they completely disrespectable, but also completely ignorant. They were infuriating the entire lot of them. Well, maybe not the brunette so much, but the other two… She wasn't surprised they were both the Uchihas. Sasuke had showed some of the same tendencies during his shorter stays with her. Of course, he was much more tolerable and generally very sweet.

Sasuke checked his own index finger for pinpricks or scabs, but he couldn't see any. "Why didn't I have-"

"You had the more… organic method? Much more potent than any ritual and much more… enjoyable." Kakashi supplied hastily as Naruto quickly stepped away from Itachi. Itachi's finger had been twitching for a while, but it wasn't until now that his fingers wrapped themselves unconsciously around a kunai. Naruto chuckled uneasily as he hurried ahead of the group, readily excusing himself as he volunteered to explain the situation to the village chieftain beforehand. It was definitely safer than trying to parade unannounced into the streets of Tsuyu with three complete strangers in tow.

Sasuke watched the blonde go with a sense of apprehension. He was getting a little paranoid and he was afraid that Naruto suspected something was up. They hadn't spoken much after Sasuke's little midnight escapade, and now he was uncertain of where they stood. He could distinctly remember Naruto proclaiming he did not want him out of his sight for a while, but now he left Sasuke to his own devices as they stood on a dangerous slope that, should he fall, would certainly take him to his Maker.

It didn't take long for them to reach the village and Kakashi quickly led the way to one of the biggest buildings there. Sasuke assumed it was a combined office and headquarters. It was huge and it looked… busy. People were everywhere, walking around with papers and weapons. It was such an odd combination that Sasuke couldn't imagine it being anything else but Naruto's working place. They followed the staircase two floors up and Kakashi quickly led them to a polished wooden door at the end of the corridor. Sasuke had barely the time to see the nametag on the door as he was swept into the office. _'Tsunade?'_ Sasuke pondered why she didn't have a last name.

Looking up expectantly, his eyes quickly searched for the woman inside the room. His eyes nearly fell out of its sockets. He never would have guessed that the woman in front of him was the head of Tsuyu. Not in a million years! As soon as the door shut behind them, Kakashi was quick to take off the blindfolds. Shisui blinked repeatedly to readjust his vision to the light. As soon as he had regained his eyesight, his eyes fell on the woman assessing him sternly over the desk. His gaze followed her figure and Sasuke could practically read his thoughts.

"Oh, boobs!" Shisui exclaimed appreciatively, quickly followed by a loud smack. Rubbing his head with a moan, the unsuspecting Uchiha turned to glare at his offending best friend who had graciously put him in his place.

Despite the lack of eloquence, Sasuke had to silently agree with Shisui. It was in a completely platonic way, of course, because he really didn't swing that way. It was merely an unavoidable observation really. The second thing he noticed about her was her really cold expression. This didn't look too promising, but if Naruto had a way with her, which Sakura had implied several times during his stay with her, then perhaps he could talk her into letting the guests stay for a bit.

He needed more time with them if he were going to make a plan. And he definitively needed a plan. It had to be a bloody effective one at that, if he were going to survive. This would be where Itachi entered the picture. He had always been a brilliant planner, and Sasuke knew he could trust him. Itachi would plan everything to his advantage, and Sasuke would be a fool to let such a wonderful opportunity pass him by. Sasuke wasn't dumb; he knew Itachi was way better than him at this survival thing. Shisui too, now that he thought about it, but Shisui wasn't as discreet. Nope, he should pin his hopes on his brother.

Sasuke was lost in thoughts as Tsunade was patiently introduced to the outsiders. She looked displeased by the outcome, but she treated her unplanned guests respectfully as she conversed with them in order. Iruka, being the one graced with a silver tongue, spoke for the group in a friendly manner. Still, Sasuke could hear the underlying persistence in his tone and he was instantly relieved. They wouldn't leave him alone here. Iruka was determined to stay with him, and Itachi, although calm now that his brother was fine, never liked leaving potential missions alone for long.

The fact that this Orochimaru-guy was a missing-nin would be enough to spike Itachi's interest. He would most likely take this as an unofficial mission of his own. Hopefully, Sasuke could come with him. It depended on how dangerous the mission was. Itachi wasn't one to expose Sasuke to mortal danger and now he also had a certain protective blonde to watch out for him. Naruto would probably object no matter how simple the mission was. He had tried to escape after all, so Naruto would most likely be watching him like a hawk for the next upcoming month or two.

"Fine, I will allow them access to Tsuyu for a month. Get them lodged in separately with three of our assassins for tonight. Kakashi, I'm sure you can house one of them?" Tsunade turned to the silver-haired man with a look that dared him to deny. Kakashi, not one to disappoint, merely crinkled his eyes in a friendly manner and pointed at Iruka. "I'm sure I have room for the brunette. However, you know how much I've wanted to clean out the other guest room for a while now, but it's still unfinished and-"

"I know, Hatake," Tsunade cut off, smiling knowingly at Iruka as the man shuffled uneasily at the thought of sharing another night with Kakashi. "Sakura, get me Shikamaru and Genma. I'm sure they will be willing to take in a guest each for the night. Itachi and Shisui, please stay behind. The rest of you are dismissed," she finished, motioning for the two Uchihas to take a seat. She no doubt intended to continue her little hearing in privacy, wishing to ensure the two family relatives would not cause some kind of havoc during their short stay.

At her dismissal, Sasuke was quick to turn on his heel and take the lead as the majority of the group left the room. He wasn't worried about his brother who could obviously take care of himself. Besides, right now he needed his therapist and Iruka was right behind him. That was also probably the only reason Itachi had allowed him to leave, knowing the Iruka would be on watch duty until Itachi was available himself. He stopped to wait for the rest, letting them pass him on the way out. The seal was easier to hide if he walked behind the others.

After last night, he had felt its presence like a fever. It was in him, under his skin, he could feel it, but he couldn't do anything about it. It made him restless and uncomfortable. His skin was burning, but it didn't matter how much he scratched it because the infernal itch wouldn't subside. It was like something was crawling under his skin, probably the seal, freely making its way all over his upper body. That was also a thought that puzzled him, because although the seal was spreading, it didn't seem to be moving beyond his beltline.

Gritting his teeth, Sasuke adamantly ignored his itching skin as he stepped out of the building. The air had become warmer during the short time they had been inside, and Sasuke partially unzipped the jacket hesitantly. Everyone was walking in front of him, but Sasuke wasn't sure if the seal was visible from behind now that the collar no longer covered his throat. A quick movement and a small slip of the garment could easily have the seal exposed for the world to see.

"I need to talk to Shizune about the sleeping arrangements. Naruto, would you mind writing the official report and hand it in?" Kakashi asked, leaving no room for protests as he dragged Naruto along with him back into the building. Sasuke watched rather dumbfounded as the blonde's back disappeared from view, uncertain if Kakashi had consciously decided to give him some free time with Iruka or not. A bit lost, Iruka stood behind Sasuke and patiently waited for the raven-haired man to make a move. He didn't want to risk trespassing on other people's property and potentially anger anyone unnecessarily, so he was going to stick with what was safe.

"Come, we can visit a friend of mine." Sasuke declared suddenly, taking Iruka's wrist and making a beeline for the main street. "He helped me run away," the young man elaborated conversationally as Iruka stumbled after him. "He gave me supplies and tips, so I have to return the favour and tell him about the village's cave system. He didn't know or he would have told me, I'm sure." Iruka had honestly not the slightest clue about what Sasuke was talking about, but he trailed after the eager Uchiha obediently until they came to a halt in front of the local apothecary.

Sasuke pressed his face against the slightly tinted glass as he scanned the store for customers. When he found none, he wasted no time in pushing the door open, still with a firm hold of Iruka's wrist. "Mizuki!" he called, already heading for, what Iruka assumed was, the backroom. Iruka was surprised, however, when he found himself in a comfortable living area. Now he had already trespassed on private property. What a great way to introduce himself to the locals, truly.

"Sasuke?" A surprised voice answered as a grey-haired man stepped out of the kitchen, a dishtowel and a wet plate in his hands. Sasuke grinned at the sight and immediately went over to shake his hand. Iruka was left standing at the entrance, feeling a little uncomfortable with the situation. "What are you doing here?" Mizuki blinked repeatedly as if he couldn't believe his eyes, limply reaching out to take the offered hand.

"Naruto found me and took me to my brother! I came by to say thank you and tell you about this cave system I discovered." Sasuke explained easily, looking very pleased where he stood. "This is a friend from Konoha," he added, pointing at Iruka. "He will be staying with us for a while before he goes back." He was about to continue his introduction when the sound of a broken plate hit his ears. Mizuki stood with the shards at his feet; knuckles white as his fingers dug into the dishtowel so hard, his nails almost pierced the cloth.

"That worthless piece of shit!" he growled as he turned on his heel and disappeared into the kitchen. Sasuke stood wide-eyed and tried to digest the outburst, taking cautious steps toward Iruka who had calmly inched himself closer to Sasuke. "So I take it you haven't known him for a long time." Iruka commented dryly as he took hold of Sasuke's shoulder in a silent attempt to take him outside. Sasuke was even too befuddled to give a decent reply, instead he satisfied himself with a low gurgle from the back of his throat. If Iruka hadn't known better, he would've thought the raven-haired man had lost his tongue.

Iruka had almost dragged Sasuke to the shop entrance when Mizuki came trampling back into the room with newfound gusto. In his hands he held a butcher knife with an impressively polished blade the length of two kunai. Now, Iruka wasn't particularly concerned about the knife. He was more worried about the man's mental stability and Sasuke's sense of self-preservation. Seriously, how did the kid manage to get into these stupid situations?

In any other situation, such a threat would be nothing but child's play. Iruka had more than enough fighting experience to take down an insane apothecary man. However, they were on unfamiliar grounds, hostile grounds even, and killing one of the locals just didn't seem like the best way to declare friendship and good intentions. Iruka couldn't simply eliminate this threat. He was way too diplomatic to ignore the potential trouble it would cause. On the other hand, Itachi would gut him if Sasuke were injured in this brawl. Hell, Iruka would willingly gut himself for Itachi, if Sasuke were injured on his watch.

Before he could decide on an action though, Mizuki had already motioned for the two of them to take a seat. As Sasuke was still in a bit of a daze, Iruka hurriedly followed the order and sat down with Sasuke on the indicated sofa. "You can't say I didn't try," Mizuki began as soon as they had settled down, looking dejected as he waved the knife threateningly. Iruka swallowed. He was this close to saying 'diplomacy be damned' and do something drastic. Right in front of him was the freaking epitome of madman. Something had to be done.

"You'll end up just like the blonde's parents." Mizuki stopped talking as he eyed them over the edge of the knife. "Did you know his mother was never Bonded to Minato? Kushina was the first and the last outsider to get married to a local. She was accepted, adored even, and she completed several missions on behalf of the village." Mizuki slammed his fist into the wall. "But she thought I wouldn't see? I caught her with that insane foreigner, exchanging information and betraying our trust!" By now, the unstable man was heaving for air as he clutched the knife harder and Sasuke couldn't believe Mizuki had called someone else 'insane'. Seriously, the irony…

When Mizuki had calmed down again, he quickly grabbed Sasuke and hoisted him up by his arm. Iruka didn't even have time to react to the abrupt movement. He sat like frozen, careful not to disturb the enraged man, watching with a heavy heart as he gently ghosted Sasuke's skin with the knife. "And you, how could you come from the mountains unharmed? How could the Gods allow it? You will persuade the brat to betray his village, no doubt. Not that we already didn't expect it, but we have to make preparations. His death would be quite a loss for us economically." Mizuki chuckled darkly as he gave the raven's throat a painful squeeze. Then he leaned forward confidentially and hissed into Sasuke's ear, "Did you know I used his income to buy my furniture?"

Sasuke couldn't even recall how he had acted. It was only when Mizuki landed flat on the floor, he realised he had taken a kunai to deflect the blade of his knife and then proceeded to punch the man squarely in the jaw. Mizuki was spluttering obscenities as he wiped his bleeding lip with a sore expression. It didn't matter how his lip looked like though, for he had already comforted himself with the thought that it would be nothing compared to the boy when he had killed him. Still with a good hold on the knife, Mizuki carefully contemplated the best way to attack. He wasn't completely oblivious to the human anatomy, and he knew that all he needed was one good hit in the correct spot.

Sasuke snarled as the man picked himself up, but he didn't make a move. He was confident in his abilities and knew he could take him down, but he had a feeling that blood would be shed before he and Iruka could walk out of the shop alive. Flexing his fingers tryingly, Sasuke discreetly angled the kunai so it was in a defensive position, ready to deflect sharp objects. The adrenaline was pumping; he could hear it roaring in his ears and he only trusted Iruka would stay away. Sasuke bared his teeth as his body acted on pure instinct, allowing the adrenaline to take control.

He was ready.

"Oh my, and here I was supposed to be the knight in shining armour," a voice lamented playfully. Sasuke spun around, surprised to see Kakashi casually leaning against the doorway as he stared down at Mizuki. Naruto stood beside him, but his expression wasn't even remotely playful. It was the first time Sasuke had seen him so stone-faced before. "We wondered where you had gotten your supplies from, Sasuke, but for you to get it from our own generous Mizuki, that was quite unexpected." Kakashi continued, looking happier by the moment.

"Stop looking so brisk, Naruto." Kakashi commented casually as the blonde had yet to even say anything. At the sound of his name, his head just snapped in Sasuke's direction, and the black-haired man went to his side instantly. It was almost like an unconscious pull telling him to go to the blonde. "I trust you will take care of this, Kakashi." Naruto ordered more than he asked, snaking an arm around Sasuke's waist before he pushed him through the apothecary and out on the bustling street.

Sasuke was still uncomfortable, but now for a completely different reason. He wasn't sure how much the blonde had seen, but judging by his tight expression, he must have been present for the last part. He knew Naruto had his pride, and for some reason Sasuke could see with perfect clarity why Naruto was so upset now that he knew about the blonde's monetary situation. Without thought, Sasuke started rubbing soothing circles on Naruto's forearm, trying to appear sympathetic without looking like he pitied the blonde. Sasuke was so very puzzled, and he realised he had quite the mystery on his hands.

"He didn't hurt you, did he?" Naruto's voice was raspy and uncharacteristically low. Sasuke just shook his head, but Naruto's hand was already tenderly tracing the contour of Mizuki's fingers on his throat. "I'm sorry," he whispered, trying to move behind Sasuke and tug the collar down to see the damage to his neck. Sasuke quickly stepped away, looking completely mortified. How could he have forgotten the seal adorning his neck so easily? Quickly zipping up the jacket, Sasuke immediately checked the collar to ensure it covered both his throat and neck. Hopefully Naruto hadn't caught a glimpse of his neck, but then again, if he had then he would have asked by now.

"You skin is hot. Do you have a fever?" Naruto reproved with a small frown, probably thinking that was why Sasuke tried to avoid skin contact. Sasuke didn't reply. He only pulled the orange jacket tighter around himself and pondered how he was going to survive the night. He was dead certain the blonde suspected something. And if he slipped up again, Naruto would become a man on a mission. Naruto sighed resignedly and merely proffered a gentle hand for Sasuke to take. Not one to deny himself of the small pleasures in life, Sasuke took the hand shyly, letting the blonde lead him back to the humble cottage.

Unable to ignore the fact that he really owed Naruto a lot now, Sasuke rewardingly steadied himself on Naruto a lot more than was strictly necessary. He had linked his arm with Naruto's and was currently putting his weight on the assassin's right side. Testing the waters, Sasuke carefully planted his head on Naruto's shoulder, rather surprised by how nicely it fit there. Naruto, always one to treasure the small moments, put his other hand on Sasuke's scalp and patted him lovingly.

Before Sasuke could react, the blonde had already stopped walking so he could drop a chaste kiss on the crown of his dark head. When this action had finally registered in Sasuke's mind, they had already walked another 10 metres and Naruto had started whistling contently. With a smile, Sasuke only gripped the steadfast arm tighter, decidedly ignoring the burning itch across his skin.

* * *

"So this is my home." Kakashi made a sweeping motion over the spacious room, looking rather proud as he guided Iruka over to the closest loveseat. The home was not what Iruka had expected. He had honestly thought it would be a bit more brooding and… gloomy? Not because he thought Kakashi was the overemotional type, but because of all the horrible things he had heard from his parents about assassins and how they dealt with their profession.

This room, however, was sunny with lots of draped windows and open space. It had the necessities of a living room, like two loveseats with a low table in the same pastel colour, and a very nice chair, several small tables with trinkets on, as well as lush plants in every corner of the room. The living room was directly connected to a combined kitchen and a medium-sized dining room. Four doors went from the living room and into separate rooms, and from what he had heard, Iruka assumed one was the master bedroom, two were guest rooms and the last one was the bathroom. On the other hand, perhaps the guest room was a combined office since Kakashi had said the room was unavailable for housing guests. Iruka only missed one thing and that was reading material.

"Don't you have anything to read? I like to read before going to bed." Iruka asked as he scanned the room in search of a bookcase or something similar. A shelf would have been just fine. Kakashi didn't reply, but he did fish up that horrible book he had given Shisui when he had been bored the night before. The silver-haired man offered it silently, but Iruka just scrunched up his nose in distaste and looked at him accusingly. "I meant real literature," he explained tersely.

"This is literature," Kakashi argued, holding up his orange book.

"No, that's porn." Iruka corrected with a sigh.

"Pornographic literature then," the silver-haired assassin amended with a crinkled eye.

"Still not something I want to be caught dead with."

"But very entertaining nonetheless." Kakashi defended adamantly.

Iruka huffed with frustration. "Fine, be that way," he said petulantly, earning an amused chuckle from the other man.

Kakashi moved to the kitchen and Iruka could hear him walking around with pots and cups. His best guess was that Kakashi was making them tea. He did like a cup of tea before going to bed… Of course, he would have to put the reading on hold until he got back to Konoha as the books this man owned was utter crap. After cautiously sitting down on the closest seat available, waiting for something to spring at him, because for all he knew, Kakashi could have hidden some traps, Iruka allowed himself to breathe a sigh of relief. Today had been weird.

After Naruto and Sasuke had left, Kakashi had, in a matter of seconds, disarmed Mizuki and tied him to the closest table leg. Then Kakashi had impatiently been waiting for someone as he had sat down in a chair, drumming his fingers expectantly. Iruka had been so perplexed that he didn't even realise he had been staring until someone had barged into the living room through the apothecary. One of them was Sakura. She had calmly escorted Mizuki out the door, telling Iruka that Tsunade would deal with their unforeseen attacker personally.

Just like that, Iruka's very eventful day had ended. Kakashi had then casually suggested they better go to his place, and Iruka, not wanting to sleep in the streets, had followed him with a sense of gratitude. And that was how Iruka found himself in his current predicament, waiting for a nice cup of warm herbal tea. Kakashi came back soon enough with two steaming cups, and Iruka immediately took a sip and revered in the familiar sweetness on his tongue. This was exactly what he needed, something familiar.

"So what do you think of this village?" Kakashi started, trying to look indifferent to the reply, but Iruka could see the way Kakashi had his eyes totally focused on him. The silver-haired assassin would be hanging onto every word that would pass his lips. For some ridiculous reason, that notion pleased him. "Apart from the recent incident, I would say it's nice here. But the village is too secluded. Fresh faces should be more appreciated, if you ask me," he grumbled, thinking back on the incident with Mizuki. The man's words had been cryptic, but Iruka had caught the gist of it. Strangers were not welcome in Tsuyu.

"It can't be helped. This is a sanctuary for refugees, for the people who have abandoned their original villages and the generations after them." Kakashi smiled ruefully as he stirred his tea absentmindedly with his spoon. "The founders of this village were originally bonded couples who eloped to the mountains. It's difficult to resist the pull of a bond, and when the bond was denied, the couples ran away. A majority of the couples were ninjas, and together they created their own village and specialised in assassinations. Every person born in this village has, with ninety-nine percent certainty, the ability to bond with someone."

Kakashi looked up from his cup to stare Iruka straight in the eyes. "People who found their Bonded could bring them back to the mountains and live with them in seclusion, but the foreign partner would not be allowed to leave again permanently because almost everyone in Tsuyu is a missing-nin or descendants of one. In the beginning it was never a problem, but now that most of us who actually can bond are confined here, partners are becoming scarce since we aren't allowed to marry outsiders, only bond with them."

Iruka snorted with derision. "It's nothing but your own laws then, that stops you from advancing," he pointed out flatly.

"It's true," Kakashi conceded. "We are careful, perhaps even too careful. However, should other villages tear down this town, and if they demanded that the generations that were lost to them, return to their homeland, then entire families would be torn to pieces. There would be an all-out war between bonded couples, between families, between villages, between countries. It would be a disaster. It's a worst case scenario, mind you, but there is always the off chance we have to take into consideration."

Iruka scowled. Yes, he could see that it would be potentially problematic, but if the villagers still thought everyone was stuck with such archaic notions, then there would never be any progress. Konoha had changed its attitude many times over the years, and had only recently accepted homosexual relationships openly. It had never really been frowned upon, but it had been more of a hushed up subject. Iruka doubted though that anyone would even consider parting married couples, especially if it would trigger a new war.

Kakashi took a deep breath as if bracing himself. "Here in this village, words that express loneliness are not used lightly. It's because no one here has ever been lonely until they have lost their Bonded. You see, a bond can be broken, but not unmade," he paused to meet Iruka's eyes, and the brunette put on an austere expression, knowing Kakashi was trying to instil some kind of knowledge into him that he should be aware of. "A bond can break between two people, but a broken bond is like a scar on the soul. Should something like that happen then a third person has most likely taken over one end of the bond. That means one of the Bonded will suffer a broken bond, while the other one is bonded to a new person."

Looking at Iruka, Kakashi assessed him openly. "Do you believe me, Iruka? Do you trust what I say?" he asked challengingly and Iruka had to swallow twice because he felt like he was answering so much more than a simple question. Kakashi didn't say anything else, and Iruka took his sweet time to taste the words on his tongue to see if he could find another meaning other than what the words actually said. Did Kakashi imply something else by asking him so suddenly? More importantly, did he believe Kakashi? _'I don't have a reason not to,'_ his mind reasoned, and Iruka had to swallow a third time for good measure.

"I do," was the timid reply, and for the first time, Iruka could see the contours of the other man's lips through his mask as his face split into a wide grin, his eyes almost disappearing under happy eyelids. Kakashi put down the cup on the table and inched closer to Iruka on the loveseat. Mirroring his move, Iruka set down his own cup on the table as well. Something told him it would be less hazardous if he had both hands free. "Do you know how we recognise our potential Bonded?" Kakashi rasped, gently tugging at Iruka's wayward chocolate strands so they didn't obscure his face.

Iruka shook his head silently, a tad confused, not knowing where this conversation was going. Kakashi smiled indulgently as he gave the man some space to breathe. "It's like a feeling, a compulsion. It's not beautiful in any way. It's brutal and honest. Not beastly, but still primitive. It's like a dark part inside you stirs the very second your eyes fall on your chosen one, encouraging you to claim what was always supposed to be yours." Iruka's breath hitched as he discreetly tried to move away from the overly amorous man. He had been right from the very start! This man was a true pervert. And a dangerous one at that, considering he killed for a living. "It's not a necessity," Kakashi continued, "we can even choose to ignore it."

"W- well, that sounds n- nice," he stuttered, blushing furiously as the man pushed him down further. "It is," Kakashi confirmed merrily, removing all doubt of his true intentions. Iruka yelped helplessly, desperately wishing someone would save him from this dangerous predicament. He was, however, beyond any help as Kakashi had already locked the door and told Naruto before they had left headquarters that he was not to be disturbed for the rest of the night. A notion shared by the blonde himself, if his obsession with keeping a certain older brother away from the youngest Uchiha was anything to go by. Yes, Kakashi knew Naruto had plans for Sasuke, but whether or not those plans were as dirty as the ones he had in mind, he highly doubted. Naruto was way too chivalrous. Ha, what an idiot he had raised for wasting such golden opportunities. Of course, Iruka knew nothing of this, so perhaps Kakashi should enlighten him a little.

"Wait, I'm tired! I want to go to bed." Iruka protested breathlessly, looking adorably meek as he stared beseechingly up at his horny assailant. Kakashi almost cooed at him. Almost. Yes, his poor little partner definitely needed to learn where they stood now. He had to know what their situation was and how futile it would be to deny it. However, Kakashi had no intention of spelling it out to the confused man under him. No, he was going to use pure wit and charm against Iruka's voice of reason. Granted he had any reason left after Kakashi was done with him…

"Of course we can go to bed. You'll wake up soon enough, no worries." Kakashi promised mirthfully, causing Iruka to shudder in anticipation. He was forced to do a reality check. Here he had a deliciously hot and perfectly healthy assassin in some wayward village far up into the mountains, pushing him down and trying to ravish him for no apparent reason at all. Nope, that didn't sound right. Iruka was missing the big picture here.

And then it struck him so suddenly it left him gobsmacked. Kakashi was not hinting at… He didn't seriously think that… Oh no. No. No. No! Iruka was not going to accept this. He might not look like it, but he wasn't the type to take everything and anything just lying down. He was not happy with where this was going, and a certain silver-haired assassin was going to hear it. "I know I'm not your only option." Iruka blurted out rather rudely as one of Kakashi's hands descended upon him fervently.

Kakashi even had the decency to stop his ministrations to give Iruka his devout attention. Gathering his courage, Iruka explained himself. "I know you have other compatible souls out there, so you're not limited to picking the first person you find." He swallowed thickly, wondering if Kakashi would let him go in hopes of meeting someone better. From what he had been told, the chances were slim, but it had happened before.

"Who told you that?"

"My mother. She bonded to my father when she was only sixteen, and the year after she moved in with him in Konoha."

"Killed by us?"

"Possibly. They were killed on a mission to Earth Country, but no one knows exactly who did it."

"Us then." Kakashi confirmed, rubbing Iruka's stomach soothingly as the body beneath him stiffened.

"But she told me about this village and all your traditions. I know you don't have to bond with me. You can have another. You said it yourself that you can ignore it if you want."

"Let me think this through," Kakashi thoughtfully cocked his head, "Here I have a gorgeous young man ready to bond with me, but instead I'll let him go in hopes of catching something that can't possibly be any better? And since the possibility of meeting two compatible souls in a lifetime is close to zero, and usually ends up in triads anyway, I'll let my delightful prize go?" Iruka could tell, without the sparkling eyes of mischief, where this was heading. Kakashi leaned forward so they were nose to nose, breathing on his lips teasingly. "I think not," he concluded, letting his hands roam again.

Iruka had honestly thought he'd had a chance, but when Kakashi pulled down his mask to reveal a rather feral grin, he had to accept the fact that his so-called chance had never existed to begin with. The brunette's left eye twitched in response. He had to be diplomatic. After all, he was now a representative for Konoha and he had to behave impeccably. It was, however, impossible to ignore the aggressive advances any further when Kakashi gleefully slipped a hand down his pants. With a yell, Iruka had the man thrown off him in a rare show of desperate strength and was currently running for the door. After a rather clumsy attempt to jump over the loveseat, Iruka made a beeline for the exit, but a firm hold on his ankle sent him face-first on the floor instead.

Spluttering, Iruka was pulled up from the floor and carried back to his previous spot. Oh, the freaking humility. But he had the blood pumping now. He was angry. Anger was a feeling he was familiar with and it felt oddly comforting to feel something other than confusion. Of course, with the silver-haired assassin, he should have expected to be thrown in for a loop. He was dropped unceremoniously back on the loveseat, glaring at the cocky assassin. With Kakashi leering at him suggestively, Iruka puffed his chest up to impressive dimensions compared to his smaller self, ready for round two of a verbal sparring.

"You can't let Sasuke be more experienced than you, can you?" Kakashi questioned gently as he sat down too.

Iruka's anger lost its hold as his brain tried to foresee where the conversation was heading. He was officially confused… again. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me. Naruto lured Sasuke to bed. There's no other word for it, but despite the rocky start they're doing quite well now, aren't they? So why not make the best of it and focus on the real problem here, your sexual inexperience?"

"It's the principle of things. Naruto shouldn't have taken advantage of him." Iruka muttered. "And how do you know-" Iruka trailed off. _'Well, now he definitively knows,'_ he chided himself. "What makes you think I haven't done it before?" he asked instead, knowing without doubt that Kakashi had obviously caught his slip.

"I'm not even going to point it out to you" was the blunt reply, which Iruka was eternally grateful for. "But this brings us back to what I was referring to in the first place. Despite the controversial circumstances, Sasuke has now more sexual experience than you. And he seems to settle down, right?"

"So?"

"I've raised Naruto. I've taught him everything he knows. Every underhanded tactic in his book is taken from me. Naruto is like my mirror image. As far as I'm concerned, he's still my apprentice. So what makes you think I won't exploit your weaknesses as well?" Kakashi chuckled darkly, crawling closer. "Where on earth did you get the idea that I would let you go when you entice me so?"

Yes, Iruka was officially drained, concerned and uncomfortable now.

"Admit it. You haven't done it yet because all this time, you've been waiting for your Bonded, namely **me**."

Floored!

Iruka could not argue on that, but he was never going to admit defeat either. He had been waiting for his potential Bonded, but he had expected someone a little more… like himself? To have a little more in common and to at least live in the same village. How on earth were they going to sort out living arrangements? And admittedly, Iruka had expected his Bonded to be female. Not that he had ever felt drawn to the female population before, but because it was the usual norm in Konoha. Kids were necessary to keep Konoha populated after all, and Iruka loved children.

"Now, if I could only hold your attention for more than five minutes consecutive." Kakashi complained playfully as he bent forward to give Iruka a surprisingly chaste kiss. Iruka's protests were drowned with pleasure, and he lost himself in the sensations as Kakashi let his hands wander again as Iruka finally allowed himself to truly feel it. Actually, he managed to relax himself with surprising ease as Kakashi did his best to please him. Iruka became responsive and Kakashi hummed with pleasure as he nipped the sensitive man under him.

It was when Kakashi started moving below the waistline again, Iruka felt like things had to slow down. He wasn't unfamiliar with the concept of sex. He had just never indulged in it with an assassin before, or anyone else for that matter. For all he knew, Kakashi could have a blood fetish and Iruka would like to be prepared. Maybe he should come up with a safe word they could use? "Focus Iruka." Kakashi chided gently as he attacked Iruka's left ear lobe. With a gasp, Iruka was brought back to reality as Kakashi unzipped his pants.

"D- don't touch my…"

"Dick." Kakashi supplied obediently and Iruka blushed a crimson red.

"I was going to say penis. Don't use such crude words," he corrected sternly.

"It's the same thing." Kakashi shrugged dismissively. "You prefer I say prick instead?"

"Don't be so direct! And use a nice words for it, like phallus."

Kakashi stopped his ministrations to stare Iruka squarely in the eyes. "…Are you for real?" he asked seriously, but the glint in his eyes revealed his genuine amusement.

"Ugh, you're completely ruining the mood."

"No, I'm helping you relax, because I'm obviously not distracting you enough." The assassin explained with unhidden mirth as Iruka started mumbling incoherently under his breath. If Kakashi really strained his ears, he could catch the general gist of it, something about crazy assassins and whatnot. It wasn't really in his interest to know at the moment. He would have to ask again later if he wanted to know the mumblings in detail.

"Now listen well, my little dolphin. I want you to lose yourself in me completely…" Kakashi whispered lovingly, and for once, Iruka felt inclined to listen to him.

So he did…

* * *

Sasuke yawned, stretching languidly out on the small bed, surprisingly happy to be back in Tsuyu. Of course, the reason for that was Itachi's sudden presence, but Sasuke liked to believe he was getting a little more used to this lifestyle as well. It didn't matter either way. Knowing his brother, Itachi would probably insist on bringing him back to Konoha today. Sasuke smiled. He would get to see his mother soon, and the thought was strangely uplifting. Even his father would be a truly welcoming sight right now. It would mean he was back home with the rest of his family and relatives. People he knew and had known since birth.

It would take them at least three days to reach home, but if they kept a steady pace, they might cut the days down to two. At least, that's what Sasuke hoped. Nudging the blonde, Sasuke didn't stop until Naruto rolled over and muttered something about sleeping in for once. Sasuke shrugged and stood up from the bed, leaving the blonde to soak up his lingering body warmth. Sasuke was still dressed in Naruto's orange jacket, much to the blonde's pride, joy and rousing suspicion. Sasuke was so freaking grateful for the jacket's high collar, that the initial idea to burn it if he ever got his hands on it, had been firmly replaced by the thought of giving it its own polished peg to hang on.

Standing by the bedside, he turned to watch the blonde with keen interest. Naruto wasn't so infuriating when he was asleep. Actually, he was kind of handsome. Letting his eyes roam across the sleeping face, Sasuke fondly trailed the barely perceptible stubble that went all the way up to the ear lobes, across one cheek to the other and back again. Suddenly Sasuke found something he had never noticed before. Squinting, he leaned forward and practically placed himself nose to nose with the sleeping blonde. He was surprised the blonde could still be sleeping, considering their breaths were mingling quite heatedly right now.

As if reading his mind, Naruto eyes suddenly cracked wide open, and Sasuke fell right on his butt in his haste to put some distance between them. Groggily, Naruto sat up, rubbing his eyes and stifling a yawn. It was obvious he would like nothing better than to go back to sleep, but this new and odd situation had stirred his interest. "What?" he rumbled questioningly. The deep baritone brought on by sleep was strangely fascinating, and as soon as he had recovered from his initial shock, Sasuke realised he could get quite used to it.

But he had to focus now! Naruto had asked him a question and he had yet to answer. Now, how to best approach such a topic? In Sasuke's opinion, a direct approach was always the best approach. Now all he had to do was take a deep breath and let the words flow. "…Are you part cat?" There, short and right to the point. Sasuke had nailed it once again!

"Excuse me?" Naruto bristled, not sure if he should be offended or not.

"I just noticed you had whisker marks on your cheeks. Are you part cat?" Sasuke repeated patiently.

Naruto blinked sluggishly, trying to make any sense of that question. It was way too early in the morning for him. "I doubt it. I've had them since I was born," he replied slowly, not certain where Sasuke was going with this conversation.

"Right, sorry for asking." Sasuke replied, noticing the blonde's discomfort. "It's kind of cute though," he added hastily. Naruto fell silent and Sasuke mentally slapped himself for such a lame attempt to placate the man in front of him. He flushed a bright red and ducked his head in shame, mortified by his own outburst. He was surprised when Naruto laughed, patting his head like a good three-year-old. Well, at least someone had fun on his expense.

"Cat fetish, Sasuke? Never in a million years would I have guessed it." Naruto teased, ruffling his head affectionately. Sasuke growled, shaking off the hand as he glared at the offending limb. He did **not** have a **cat** fetish. Handcuffs had always fascinated him though… _'No, stay focused!'_ Sasuke chided himself. Casting Naruto a cautious side-glance, Sasuke weighed his options. Naruto was awake now. Maybe now was the time to bring up the topic that Sasuke dreaded? He was determined to leave today with Itachi and, come hell or high water, nothing was going to stop him. Which brought him back to the problem at hand. How to approach said topic? Although he had never been the type to beat around the bush, something told him this topic required a more discreet approach.

He could try with discretion for once. He could even make it a mission! So… Sasuke would have to start the conversation with something that was way-off topic, right? Like, he could ask if Naruto liked to… watch the moon. And then he would casually proceed by asking if the moon was visible from Tsuyu. And **then** he could continue with questions about the mountain area around before asking him if he liked to travel. If Naruto did, then he could calmly ask him if he would like to accompany him to Konoha. If he didn't like to travel, then Sasuke could always ask if he would like to meet his family. Naruto seemed like the family type, so Sasuke would be surprised if he declined. Besides, it would be a wonderful opportunity to meet his parents, or mainly his mother… What a good idea!

"So when am I getting my jacket back?" Naruto inquired airily, interrupting Sasuke halfway through his planning.

'_Abort mission!_

_Abort mission!'_

Sasuke experienced a moment of sheer panic. Naruto was supposed to wait for him to initiate a conversation! Sasuke hadn't even considered parting with the surprisingly beloved jacket just yet. "I wanted to take it with me when I leave for Konoha." There it was. Honest and an excellent distraction! Not only did it take them straight to the current issue, but it also saved Sasuke from a lot of unnecessary chitchat. The raven was surprised however, when the blonde didn't start with one of his usual hissy fits. Instead he shrugged, rather nonchalantly, Sasuke noted sourly, before nodding slowly.

"I suppose your brother can escort you," he admitted, a little reluctantly perhaps, but admitted nonetheless. Sasuke's jaw dropped quite unflatteringly as he tried to piece together the meaning behind his words. So he was cleared? Good to go? Ready to rumble? Going **home**? In his moment of sheer happiness, Sasuke unknowingly bestowed Naruto with a radiant smile that outshined anything the blonde had ever seen before. Had Sasuke not been so happy, he would have considered the possibility of any ulterior motives, considering the blonde had so suddenly changed his mind, but he wasn't going to be picky.

"Right, Itachi is really good!" Sasuke goaded eagerly.

"And I bet he's smart too." Naruto continued, obviously implying something that was completely lost on the other.

"Of course."

"Good, then I'm giving you a week starting today." The blonde concluded with a certain hint of finality in his tone, leaving little room for arguments.

"Is the village okay with this? Why only a week? It takes usually three days to travel, doesn't it?" Sasuke inquired suspiciously, wondering how on earth he could get anything done with so little time.

"When it comes to you, I'm the one calling the shots. You're all seasoned fighters. It'll take you two days tops now that you know the way. That will leave you with a sufficient amount of time to settle your business."

"It's only three days!" Sasuke protested ardently, although the 'seasoned fighters' part hit straight home.

"And that's plenty of time for you meet up with your family."

"He's right. It won't take long," someone interrupted as the entrance door opened. Itachi strolled in, eyeing the place with poorly veiled displeasure. "Shisui is already on his way to Konoha. We thought it best if we sent him ahead to… cushion the blow."

"And Iruka?" Sasuke inquired, finding it weird that he hadn't left with him. Itachi's expression darkened considerably and Sasuke mused what it was he had missed this time. It took a lot to upset his brother, and Itachi was obviously concerned about something. That something was apparently Iruka, but Sasuke had no idea why. Iruka wasn't the type to get into trouble. He was impish and sly when he wanted to, but he could always handle his own mess. If Itachi was worried, then Sasuke automatically worried as well.

"He will remain here as the only connection between us and Tsuyu."

"Clever." Naruto shot in, eyes gleaming with suppressed laughter. Sasuke grew suspicious. The blonde obviously knew what was bothering Itachi. He really wanted to ask, but didn't feel like insulting his brother by completely disregarding his existence in the room. And he doubted Itachi would appreciate it if Sasuke talked about him to Naruto as if he weren't even there. Itachi also hated to share when in the presence of outsiders, which meant that asking him directly was out of the question, and that brought Sasuke into a very evil circle where he just had to be incredibly patient.

"I've already packed the necessary supplies and readied clean clothes for you. Tsunade has given us permission to leave and Genma will guide us down the mountain. Get changed so we can go." Perking up, Sasuke took the offered garments with childish eagerness as he scrambled to the bathroom to change. An action that struck Itachi as odd considering there were only men in this room, and, no matter how much he tried to deny it, both of the men present had seen his little brother naked before…

Oh well, decency had never harmed anyone.

"You know why I'm letting you go with him, right?" Naruto asked casually as he leaned back against the wall, scrutinising him with stern eyes. Oh yes, Itachi was painfully aware of the reason why Naruto was suddenly so lenient with Sasuke. And it certainly wasn't Itachi kick-ass fighting skills… But still, Itachi was going to play dense. Imitating the blonde in front of him, Itachi crossed his arms as he coolly eyed the blonde sharply.

"I have an inkling," Itachi replied vaguely.

"As long as it's right." Naruto replied curtly, relaxing his stiff posture as Sasuke came flying out from the bathroom, seemingly walking on clouds as he went to his brother's side.

"I'm ready to go," he exclaimed unnecessarily, taking his brother's hand in his as he tugged him toward the door. Itachi allowed himself to be dragged outside, exchanging a formal glance with the blonde before he shut the door quietly after them.

Naruto was left watching the entrance door, quite dumbfounded by all the happenings around him. He was still too damn tired for this. And he was still trying to digest everything when the door shot open again and a hesitant Sasuke poked his head in. Seeing Naruto standing there like a big question mark, Sasuke practically bounced over and gave the blonde a solid smooch on the cheek. "Thank you," he whispered before storming out the door again, red as a tomato.

Naruto was left in a daze, tired and confused, hungry and alone, with a huge grin on his face.

* * *

Iruka was drowsy and aching all over.

And he knew exactly why.

He also understood Sasuke's puzzled expression whenever he talked about his Bonded. Iruka didn't feel any different today and felt quite disappointed. He had expected a little more after his mother had told him all the wonderful stories about her Bonded. Perhaps it was also his fault for glorifying the entire thing as well? No! Iruka had had expectations and they had not been fulfilled. He felt cheated. Kakashi had even called him a fish! Iruka had gotten that much before everything had blurred together. Wait, dolphins were actually mammals, weren't they? Didn't matter. Iruka found it insulting nonetheless. There was nothing endearing about dolphins.

So fine, that was the direct translation of his name, but considering the other kids had teased him with it when he had been a child, Iruka had no fond affections for dolphins. And it really didn't help when his supposed Bonded added insult to injury when he used that nickname during intercourse. Iruka felt like punching the silver-haired assassin… Not like it would get him far. After all, his mother had told him something about a body lock. He would never be able to hurt his Bonded.

Iruka clenched his fists yearningly.

It wouldn't hurt to try… Just for the heck of it.

No, he couldn't. _'Show some character, Iruka,'_ he told himself. He would have to brave this like he would any other obstacle. Violence was not the key, although it certainly was a solution. He would just have to collect himself and think this through carefully. He couldn't afford to lose his head now, but instead he had to keep his cool. He could get himself out of this predicament with a little luck and a bloody good escape plan. Kakashi didn't seem like the type to be fired up easily either, so Iruka would surely be able to persuade Kakashi to leave him alone.

As if noticing his calmed state, the door to the bedroom pushed open and the silver-haired man in question stepped into the room, eyeing the tan body so deliciously docile in front of him. Walking over to Iruka's side of the bed, he placed a cool hand on the man's forehead, smiling down at him gently. Kakashi had decided he was going to be considerate and ease Iruka into his way of living. He wasn't going to take any chances and ruin any possibilities of a healthy, loving relationship. Iruka was the type of man who responded to patience and kindness, so Kakashi was going to be his ideal gentleman.

With a sigh, Iruka struggled to get himself up in a sitting position, looking up at the man in front of him as he wondered how he was going to proceed. They had to talk things out and come to an agreement. Grimacing, Iruka also noted that he had to ask the man for something to soothe… post-sexual soreness. Kakashi leaned down and only stopped when he was butting his forehead against Iruka's. A look of pure devotion on his face, and wonder, as if he couldn't believe what he was seeing.

And Iruka felt cheated again because Kakashi was obviously way more affected by their bonding than he was. He could no longer help himself and pouted. Kakashi let out a breathy chuckle as he traced Iruka's frown tenderly. "What's the matter, my _aisai_?" he asked with a voice full of compassion. Kakashi never had the time to react. Iruka acted on pure instinct as he lashed out and punched the man squarely on the nose. With a yell, Kakashi was sent thrashing on the floor, holding his nose protectively as he stared up at Iruka as if he were mad.

Iruka was so shocked he sat rooted in the bed, stammering a few indiscernible apologies and excuses under his breath. He watched Kakashi's surprised look when blood seeped through his fingers and onto his newly ironed shirt, and Iruka inwardly cringed. "What the **hell** was that?" Kakashi question, eyes blazing as he obviously pondered about leaving the room to find a towel or not. Apparently his concern for Iruka's mental health won over as he crossed his legs and stared up at the still stammering brunette with a disapproving frown.

"I thought I couldn't hit you!" Iruka wailed desperately, almost on the brink of hyperventilating. He knew he should have left with Shisui when he'd had the chance. He just fucking **knew** it!

"You can't kill me! That's what the body lock is for. You can still beat the living daylights out of me!" Kakashi corrected with obvious exasperation, leaving Iruka torn between laughing at himself or crying because, body lock or not, he was going to be killed by his Bonded.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. You can punch me if you want to." Iruka offered, inching closer to give the silver-haired man a better shot as he scrunched his eyes tightly shut, just waiting for the blow to land. He was startled when a bloodied hand fondly stroked his cheek instead.

"_Baka_! If I hit you, I could **accidentally** send your nose bone flying straight through your brain." Kakashi informed huskily, looking at him as if he were the silliest person to ever walk the earth. To some extent, Iruka understood and agreed with him.

"Oh…" he replied quietly. Well, uh, that was awkward. Then his eyes narrowed as he suddenly remembered the reason for his outburst in the first place. Locking gazes with the man on the floor, he bent forward so that they were nearly on eye level. "And don't call me your '_aisai_'. Just… stick to 'dolphin'," he reprimanded coolly, hoping that if his fist hadn't successfully conveyed the message, his glare certainly would. He had had a change of heart. Now that he thought about it, 'dolphin' didn't seem so bad after all. Perhaps with time, he could even grow to like it.

"Roger." Kakashi grunted, proceeding to cause quite the pitiful scene to gain Iruka's sympathy. With a sigh, Iruka got up from bed and helped the man up by his elbow. He didn't think words would do anymore good. He would simply have to prove to the silver-haired assassin that he was truly, madly, and deeply sorry. For once, Iruka was grateful for the fact that Kakashi was rumoured to be quite the pervert because receiving forgiveness had never seemed so easy before.

With barely concealed smugness, Iruka grinningly supported Kakashi to the bathroom, astonished by that fact that their relationship could go smoothly after all.

As long as he was left in charge, that was.

* * *

Naruto had decided to do some research of his own in Sasuke's absence.

When he no longer had a black-haired Bonded to indulge, Naruto found himself with too much free time on his hands. As a result, he had decided he was going to do something productive. The villagers were obligated to report any unusual sightings, and all reported sightings were archived in the headquarters for easy access to all assassins. Naruto had decided to investigate the reports. The blonde didn't actually expect to find anything of interest, but at least he would be wasting his time doing **something**.

Entering the headquarters, Naruto nodded his head politely to everyone as he passed them. Kakashi had always told him to be polite, even if he didn't like the person in question. Then no one could blame him for being uncivil and Naruto would have a stronger case after he had kicked the person's ass later. Naruto smiled fondly. Kakashi had always given him some solid advice though the years. Not all of them socially accepted, always with a questionable morale and definitely illegal, but still so damn useful!

Whistling, Naruto entered the archives, given reproachful looks by the other people present. He didn't care, but he did shut up. Itachi hadn't told him much about Orochimaru and Iruka hadn't remembered much about Jiraiya. In other words, Naruto didn't really know what he was looking for or when it possibly could have happened. He had no timeframe to inspect and nothing solid to go after, but he **had** admitted to not expecting anything…

Now, he could start by sorting through the reports from the Airi mountain range, like missions and unusual happenings, in the last… five decades? He had never been given the ages, but only vague estimations. Jiraiya must have passed away in his forties. Orochimaru disappeared around the same age, and that was ten years ago. Lifting a pile of dusty folders, Naruto dropped them carelessly on the closest table. He had never cared much for paperwork, and no matter shape or size, he wanted all of it to burn.

Writing reports was such a tedious job and Naruto preferred physical labour. Well, no time to complain, he had better get to work. He had already spent five minutes just staring at the first pile in dismay, and he still had four piles left, each for one decade. And he still didn't know what exactly he was looking for. With a heavy heart, Naruto took the first folder and skimmed the reports quickly, looking for anything of possible interest. Just because he didn't like this kind of work didn't mean he wasn't efficient, and it was something that surprised everyone who got to know him.

However, not even efficiency could keep him entertained for long when he had skimmed the fifth pile with fruitless effort. The only thing worth his notice had had nothing to do about the situation and more about personal interest. Tsunade had become the village chieftain when Naruto was still a toddler, and therefore Naruto sort of expected that Tsunade had always been in the leader position because she was the only chieftain he had ever worked for. However, the files told Naruto of a time when Tsunade had been a very active assassin, completing many missions, mostly in the area around the Airi mountains.

The discovery surprised him because he had never heard much about it and her transition from assassin to medical assistant seemed rather abrupt. Yawning, Naruto took a look at the time and realised he had been reading for hours, even sacrificing the usual dinner in his brave endeavour to find something useful. That thought didn't sit well with him. Dinner was an important meal and should never be skipped. It wasn't a big deal though. He had stocked up lots of ramen back home. So after sloppily putting the files back in place, he exited the headquarters and headed home, looking forward to a somewhat decent meal.

The weather was grey and the roads were practically deserted. In the corner of his eye, Naruto noticed a shadow sneaking around the corner, obviously trying to avoid detection. He didn't even bother turning. After it had become known that Tsunade had allowed visitors into the village, every villager had become suspicious and started walking around on eggshells. The children were barely allowed to go outside, and only then in the presence of an adult or an older sibling. Naruto could only laugh at their silly antics. They were so overly cautious he actually pitied them. Then again, none of them had the same fighting abilities the assassins had been blessed with, and were naturally more vulnerable.

But still… They could at least have a little faith in the village's defence. It was excellent after all.

Humming merrily to himself, Naruto kicked a stone with his foot as the person moved from the periphery of his vision. Naruto had to admit the man was one paranoid guy, considering he should have recognised Naruto by now. Not that Naruto was going to meddle with the villagers' views and opinions. If they wanted to play it so safe, then by all means, let them. Personally he only cared about his closest friends and his mate. It was the way it would always be from now on.

Idly wondering if the man had calmed his apparently frayed nerves, Naruto was tempted to stalk after him and see what he was up to. After all, if he had a hostile attitude to the newcomers, Iruka could be in danger again. Not that he had a reason to worry because, knowing his mentor, Kakashi was probably trailing the brunette like a lovesick watchdog. And Itachi would certainly take care of Sasuke until his return. Naruto was positive that no one was more capable than Itachi, beside himself, when it came to the raven-haired's safety. And when they came back, Itachi would hopefully have Sasuke's story in its unabridged version.

Naruto was no fool.

The blonde knew he was kept in the dark from **something**, but he didn't know why and he certainly didn't know what. Entering his home and kicking off his shoes, no need to worry about proper etiquette with Sasuke out of the house, Naruto quickly headed for the cupboard to find a ramen box. As he prepared the food, he carefully reviewed the short time he had spent with Sasuke, from when he had found him to when he had left with his brother. He did it again and again. And although in Naruto's mind, Sasuke had seemed perfectly fine, there was still this nagging feeling of lingering doubt he just could **not** shake off.

It annoyed him to no end because his Bonded was always supposed to be in a state of **impeccable** health, both mentally and physically. The fact that an alarm was going off in his head, making him dizzy at times, was a great reason for concern. His built-in alarm had never been wrong before. It was like his ESP, specifically designed to keep himself sane. Naruto had to be suicidal to ignore it, but he wasn't, so he had put the big brother on the case instead. Smart!

As he cleaned up after himself, Naruto mentally counted the time passed in his head since Sasuke had left. They should have reached Konoha by now, he deduced. He wondered how Sasuke would react. The blonde was certain he would revert back to his childlike self in a flash. He was also willing to bet Sasuke would try every tactic in the book to convince his brother to let him stay when the time was up. But Naruto had been thorough and Iruka was still here. Itachi was forced to return, and by default, Sasuke would follow. The young raven was so predictable that Naruto didn't know whether to be charmed by his innocence or concerned for his safety.

He already missed the youngest Uchiha, but that was to be expected. The bond had never been strained like this before, with the two of them so far apart. Naruto doubted Sasuke was even aware of it, but the blonde was painfully aware of the bond stretching to its limit to keep them connected. It wasn't as if the bond could just snap though, so technically Naruto had nothing to worry about. It was just the strange feeling he was unused to. Luckily Kakashi had warned him beforehand, or else he would have been a tad frantic by now in his need to strengthen the bond further.

With a content smile, he changed into a nightshirt and went to bed, reaching out for the soft pillow with Sasuke's lingering scent. Sasuke would be back soon. Two days had passed and that meant five days to go. Yes, Naruto had done his math. Five days left before he would see a black mop of hair in the far distance, approaching him with the sole purpose to return to his side again.

He wasn't crazy or anything, just very, very lovesick, he explained to himself as he drifted off.

* * *

Sasuke had been **bouncing**. _'There was no other word for it,'_ Itachi noted fondly. As soon as Konoha had become visible in the distance, Sasuke had sped up considerably. Itachi had been surprised his brother hadn't lost his breath. Now that his little brother was home, safe and sound, the spirit on the Uchiha compound had gone up to its usual level of contentment. Mikoto had been overjoyed and Sasuke had been sitting with her, bragging about how he had **almost** managed to escape, plainly ignoring Shisui's muffled laughter behind his back.

Their mother was a doting woman, but her direct approach to everything was sometimes a cause for awkward situations. Itachi had felt especially sorry for his little brother when Mikoto had turned to Sasuke with such a scrutinising expression that even Shisui squirmed where he sat. "So you have kissed then?" she had asked her youngest, ignoring Shisui's suppressed snort. "With tongues?" she had elaborated with twinkling eyes.

Sasuke had looked so adorably bewildered when he had started to fumble with the hem of Naruto's orange jacket. In the end he had managed to choke out a coherent sentence, but it had only led to more embarrassing questions. Mikoto had been merciless, asking about everything in detail with absolutely nothing left out. Even Shisui had lost his extreme expression of amusement and taken on a rather worried look instead. He had probably been as concerned about Sasuke as Itachi had been.

It was when Mikoto had asked for details about the kidnapping night, Itachi had felt the need to intervene. "It's irrevocable" he had shot in smoothly, trying to salvage his brother, causing Mikoto to laugh until she had been completely breathless. No, she had most likely everything figured out already. It was lucky for Naruto that Sasuke had returned in one piece, or else Mikoto would have been in a completely different mood. Itachi had seen her angry on some rare occasions, but he had never been on the receiving end before. He certainly hoped it stayed that way…

If only their father could be able to handle unexpected events with the same attitude as their mother. At least Fugaku had calmed down and seemed to be breathing normally again. Sasuke still hadn't seen him though, but news travelled fast. Shisui had reached Konoha a few hours before them, and he had just imparted the knowledge of Sasuke's mishap when it came to a permanent spouse, when Sasuke had come barrelling through the entrance door. That was probably why Sasuke hadn't been in to see their father yet. From what Itachi had heard, Fugaku had been pretty livid for a second, but he didn't know on whom.

It was probably on him for not walking Sasuke home on that fateful night. Foolish, little brother! Itachi loved his brother to bits, but only Sasuke could walk into so much trouble in the span of one night, and Itachi could not always be there to pick up the pieces and get him home safely. He would definitively give his all and try, although a fact was a fact and his brother would have to learn to hold his own in the end. Itachi already dreaded the day when Sasuke would be allowed to go on S-ranked missions alone. He knew it was only a question of time, and he knew he would lose sleep whenever his brother had to go.

A few minutes ago Sasuke had been called in to see their father, **alone**. So Itachi had dragged Shisui with him to search the Konoha archives for information on Jiraiya or Orochimaru. Shisui might not be the right man for paperwork, but he was the right man for any mission. And if that mission included research, he was still a force to be reckoned with. After Fugaku had been informed about Sasuke's discovery up in the mountains, he had immediately contacted the Hokage. The Hokage had naturally put Itachi, Shisui and Iruka on the case since the three of them were already involved. Keep it simple, huh? It didn't matter because Itachi benefitted from it as well. He was now officially allowed to accompany his little brother back to Tsuyu, not that he wouldn't have done it anyway…

"So," Shisui began, dropping a folder in front of Itachi, "this is pretty juicy news," he said, indicating the folder in front of him. "Check the last mission report." Itachi did as he was told and skimmed the last report quickly. Yes, Orochimaru had gone missing on a mission to the Airi mountain range. He had been on a mission with another ANBU, but he was officially MIA. So that meant they were at least sniffing in the right direction. However, they would need to know why Orochimaru was so willing to come back to the mountains when it was the most obvious place to begin a search. The man might be skilled, but his attitude was nothing but downright cocky if he thought he could handle three of Konoha's top ninjas at the same time.

The rest they could find wasn't nearly as interesting and pretty common knowledge. Orochimaru's file included a list of his students, important missions and achievements, a list of abilities and exam scores, personality evaluation and a profile picture. Jiraiya had even less information listed as he had never had any students and had spent most of his ninja career as a classified ANBU. It left them with very little to go after and absolutely no information on his last mission. The file only said 'MIA', but a footnote at the bottom said he was presumed dead because he had never once been sighted since. Well, assuming Jiraiya was the missing ANBU who had accompanied Orochimaru, Itachi could now change that to 'deceased' with ninety-nine percent surety.

"Is this all we've got?" Shisui double-checked with clear dismay, hoping for a bigger breakthrough after all the reading they had done. "No history, no connections, no motives, no messages, no call for backup and certainly nothing here indicating treachery beforehand. How disappointing."

"Jiraiya probably found out what Orochimaru was up to and was killed." Itachi guessed sceptically.

"Come on, bro, you have heard the stories. You don't kill a **legend **like that without a scar a mile wide or a missing head. It doesn't add up!" Shisui scoffed, scooping up the files and putting them back in their rightful place. Itachi had to silently agree with him. It didn't make sense, but it had happened. So in order to get the proper information, a confrontation with the missing-nin was inevitable. And although Itachi didn't relish playing the role as the executor, he was a man who yearned for the truth.

Itachi had already decided to get to the bottom of this, and he would be damned if he failed himself now.

* * *

Sasuke hated to admit this, but he was trembling. If he thought his father had been scary before, it was nothing compared to the way he was scrutinising him now. And to top it off, his skin was burning as if someone had set him on fire. He found it weird that he wasn't sweating, but his mother had commented on his clamminess. Of course, she had assumed he was just nervous about coming home after so long. If only that was true, maybe it even partially was, but it certainly wasn't the only reason. He was starting to have second thoughts about that seal, mainly because he didn't know how to remove it if necessary.

He had checked the seal as soon as he had been left alone in his room. The seal hadn't spread any further, but it was starting to change colour. It had gained a reddish hue the last time he checked, and if it continued like this, Sasuke was sure it would be an unmistakable red by the time he returned to Tsuyu. Bloody hell he was in trouble, but it wasn't as if he hadn't been properly warned beforehand. He still wore Naruto's jacket to cover the seal, although his mother had been offering him plenty of quality jackets since his return. Sasuke kind of liked the jacket now, because it had unconsciously become a new sign of familiarity and a source of comfort.

His father was eyeing him carefully over the rim of a white, porcelain teacup, patiently waiting for Sasuke to stop shifting so nervously. "So you got into trouble," he stated slowly and Sasuke's eyebrow twitched. He didn't have to be a genius to hear the unvoiced 'again' in his father's sentence. Sasuke couldn't help himself all the time. He was always curious, damn it! He hadn't exactly expected a pat on the back with lots of praise for surviving, but a 'welcome home' shouldn't be too much to ask for.

Besides, he was in pain, or at least in great distress. The seal was bothering him nonstop now, and he didn't know how to relieve the burning itch. He had to apply some numbing salve as soon as possible. "I hear you have been married?" Fugaku continued, snapping Sasuke back to the world of the living. _'Great, here goes my pride,'_ Sasuke cursed. "Yes, father," he confirmed with a heavy heart. He was so useless… He was so going to get chewed up over this.

"And are you happy with the arrangement?" his father continued sternly, surprising Sasuke so much he needed a few seconds to pull himself together. Fugaku had asked him a direct question concerning his wellbeing. This was truly astonishing and it left Sasuke so befuddled he didn't even know how to properly reply. Honesty always worked, of course, but he didn't know how much Shisui had told him beforehand. For all he knew, his father had already made himself a clear opinion on how well Sasuke was faring.

"I'm adjusting," he replied, _'kind of,'_ he added mentally, leaving that part out because he knew his father wouldn't be pleased if he had to elaborate such a statement. Telling a parent he had possibly done something really, really stupid again wasn't very tempting at the moment. And he certainly didn't feel like trying to explain why it had seemed like such a fantastically great idea to begin with. Besides, the seal wouldn't have bothered him half as much if he only knew how he could remove it. It was his lack of knowledge that was really bothering him.

"Good, good," his father praised, "that's all I wanted to know. As long as you're happy with your situation… I'm sure things will sort itself out eventually." Since when had his father become so positive and trusting? If he told his father right now about the seal adorning his neck, he was pretty sure Fugaku would be quick to change his mind. Clever thing he didn't. Fugaku switched the subject as he told Sasuke to tell him directly about the meeting with Orochimaru. The two of them spent the rest of the evening talking about the importance of his discovery and how the Hokage had made it a Konoha mission. That meant his brother and Shisui would accompany him back to Tsuyu. Sasuke was both thrilled and relieved, unconsciously relaxing his tense shoulders.

Leaving not soon after in a surprisingly good mood, Sasuke whistled as he made his way to his room. The clothes irritated his skin and he couldn't wait to strip. Ha, Naruto should have been here now. He would most likely have had a field day. But Naruto wasn't here, and he would never be. Sasuke didn't know when the bond would be broken, but he would probably notice somehow. Surely something noticeably would be different and then Sasuke would have a blast trying to explain to everyone how his… **marriage** had been annulled.

Trudging into his room, he was surprised to find his brother sitting on his futon, clearly waiting for him with an air of impatience. "Sasuke." Itachi greeted him formally, patting the space beside him for Sasuke to join him. He obediently did so, and watched his brother with wide-eyed wonder as Itachi threw a folder in his lap. "This is everything Shisui and I could dig up, and honestly speaking, it's quite useless. Don't have anything to add, do you?"

Sasuke opened the folder apprehensively, startled when the face of Orochimaru greeted him on the first page. He skimmed through it briefly before he moved onto Jiraiya's file. When he was done, the only thing he could conclude with was that the information was vague at best. He didn't know much about what he was looking for, but he most definitively didn't notice anything out of the ordinary. His brother was right. The files revealed **nothing**.

"We tried looking into Orochimaru's students, but they're all dead or gone. Hideki and Katsuro (1) died on an A-ranked scroll mission right after Orochimaru disappeared. Kushina's status is classified, so we suspect she had permission to relocate, but we don't know her whereabouts. She's not a missing-nin at least."

"Kushina?" Sasuke whispered. "Uzumaki Kushina?" he demanded, and Itachi nodded with narrowed eyes. "She's Naruto's mother, but she and her husband were killed after his birth."

"So now we have a connection, but still no motive." Itachi rubbed his forehead tiredly as he tried to piece together what they had. "Who was suspected when Naruto's parents were killed?"

"Naruto himself." Sasuke replied weakly.

"What? He must have been a toddler." Itachi stated incredulously.

"Cleared of all charges. It was more of a personal matter between him and the villagers."

"Right. Still doesn't explain why Orochimaru would leave the village though, or kill his best friend." Itachi muttered, leaving Sasuke to brood at the floor. The seal was acting up again to newer heights, and his brother didn't seem too keen on leaving. Squirming where he sat, Sasuke yearned to scratch his shoulders and neck with frenzy, but was held in check by the presence of his brother. Probably best too, now that he thought about it, since he had a nasty habit of scratching until it bled, and then some.

"Has Naruto ever expressed an interest in returning to Konoha?" Itachi asked, looking inquisitively at Sasuke as he massaged his temples thoughtfully.

"Not really, but I don't think he would be adverse to the idea should it be voiced." With the way Naruto was treated everyday, Sasuke would actually prefer it if the blonde came back with him to Konoha instead. And that was not a wish based on his personal, selfish reasons either. Sasuke just didn't like the way some of them treated the blonde. And if his mother had been a citizen of Konoha, it would make a transfer much easier with a lot less paperwork included. In other words, Naruto could always come back and claim a citizenship if he wanted to.

Yawning, Sasuke stretched languidly as he gave his brother a pointed stare. It was time to get his brother out of his room so he could take a look at the seal again. "It's so good to be home again," Sasuke began, "but I'm really tired now. I think I'll tuck in for the night," he proclaimed, rising up to change. A cold hand around his wrist was quick to pull him down again. "We're not done yet, _otouto_," was the calm explanation as the hand went to his shoulder. "You're awfully warm, little brother, why don't you take off that jacket to cool yourself?"

Sasuke could literally feel the world collapse under him. "This jacket is the only thing that ties me to Naruto," he tried meekly, but Itachi only scoffed.

"I think you've been faking your relationship with him more than what is strictly healthy, Sasuke," his brother commented with a deceptively casual voice. _'Crap, crap, crap,'_ Sasuke's brain chanted hysterically as he struggled to compose himself.

"I won't defend that obnoxious blonde you call your husband because God knows what he has done to you behind my back, but right now I think your own stupidity far outweighs anything else by far. Sasuke, tell me honestly, what are those black swirls on your upper body?"

"I- and- he- it-" Sasuke blubbered. There was no denying the fact that Sasuke was not thinking coherently at the moment. It was a no-win situation and his mind was reeling for a way out of this mess. Anymore of this and he would start hyperventilating. Unable to ignore his brother's distress, Itachi carefully put a soothing hand through his black locks, shushing him with gentle words. Sasuke could only think of how hot it had become and feel the sweat as it trickled down his back. He didn't even know if it was a result of the seal or his brother's confrontation.

"Breathe, Sasuke, you have to breathe," his brother urged as his fingers kept combing his hair. Steadying his breathing, Sasuke managed to clear his vision and tilt the world back on its axis. He kept silent though, unsure of himself and not knowing how Itachi always **knew**. "I saw it when we took a nap on our way to Konoha. I suspected something, so I did a small physical. Naruto was suspicious too, and that's why he let you go with me, hoping you would tell me when we were alone." Sasuke only looked at him pleadingly, wishing his brother would leave. "There's nothing to be ashamed of, Sasuke. Orochimaru is an S-ranked missing-nin. I'm just glad you are alive."

"Orochimaru… pu- put a seal on me." Sasuke admitted unwillingly, ducking his head shamefully. For the love of everything, he was not going to tell his brother how. He. Was. Not.

"He didn't take your blood, did he?"

"No." _'Lie, lie, lie, lie!'_

"Well, that eases most of my concern since all seals are easily broken except blood seals. We will have it removed in no time, _otouto_." Itachi assured him with a firm pat on the head. "Orochimaru once experimented with a unique blood seal on a ninja named Kimimaro. He bit his throat and created a dangerous bond between them. Kimimaro became Orochimaru's puppet and he disappeared with his puppeteer. Because of your connection to Naruto, I was worried you had made a second bond with him."

"That would be bad?" Sasuke inquired with a pale face, knowing he would not like the answer, but felt like he had to ask nonetheless.

"Very bad," his brother confirmed gravely. "I spoke to Genma and he was most willing to share some general information about the village. From what he told me, my assumption is that a person can only be bonded once. Because Orochimaru's special blood seal works like a bonding, a bonded person will most likely be forced to give up the already existing bond. At some point the two bonds will be equally strong and act like one. And during this short period, the three people involved will share a stronger bond. This bond possesses the same qualities as the bonds it consists of."

"For the rest of their lives?" Sasuke exclaimed horrified, reaching for his brother's vest with pure terror written on his face.

"No, I think one bond will eventually overpower the other."

"Oh." Sasuke said lamely.

"But I don't know how it will affect the party whose bond is broken. Besides, the enormous strain on the person who is the link between the two bonds will probably be fatal."

"Oh." Sasuke repeated, looking crestfallen. _'Crap, crap, crap, and double crap,'_ he told himself.

"Now, let me have a thorough look at the seal, so I can remove it immediately." Itachi commanded, reaching for Naruto's jacket to take it off.

"But I'm sure it can wait until tomorrow morning, right?" Sasuke pleaded, because frankly speaking, he really was tired now… and still a little panicky, but this time for a completely different reason. He had to find Orochimaru because he couldn't let Naruto die. That had never been his intention. And bloody hell, he was such a fool! In his wild desire to escape Naruto, he had possibly doomed them both. He didn't even know why Orochimaru wanted to share a bond with him. That alone was very suspicious…

And now, to redeem himself, Sasuke had to try and set things straight… again. If his brother was right, he had a bond with Orochimaru now. If he just concentrated, perhaps he could use it to locate the missing-nin, just like Naruto had used the bond to find him when he had escaped. Sasuke was strong, but not legendary. He was gullible, but still no fool. He was perhaps dying, but he was a driven man now. He had no choice but to try. And he had to start right now! For Naruto…

"We should do it right away. I don't want you suffering anymore than necessary." Itachi replied with such a genuine smile that Sasuke felt ashamed.

"Then maybe you should fetch Shisui too?" Sasuke suggested brightly. "He knows seals even better than **you** do."

"Are you doubting my skills, little brother?" Itachi mocked good-naturedly.

"Of course not, but you know, just in case." Sasuke assured him quickly, smiling as he folded his feet under him with a calm posture, hoping to convey to his brother that he intended to sit idly put until his brother returned. With an overbearing smile, Itachi ruffled his hair as he stood up to leave. Sasuke watched him go in silence as his mind quickly calculated how much time he had. His brother had to cross the entire compound if Shisui was home, something he probably were at this time of night.

Considering his brother's normally leisurely pace, Sasuke had ten minutes to get going. He scribbled a note where he explained that he had to talk to his mother before they could begin, saying he wouldn't be long. However, the mother-son talks between Mikoto and Sasuke were infamous for taking a lot more time than what others thought was strictly necessary. Itachi would probably not become impatient until at least an hour had passed.

So he had one hour and ten minutes, give and take. He could work with that. And he would certainly get things done. His greatest concern was food. The Uchiha compound had a shared emergency pantry for all its members. It would have to do and it was also located to his advantage, close to the back entrance. Shisui lived right beside the compound entrance and his brother would surely sense his presence if Sasuke got too close. Luckily the compound had a back entrance, but it was guarded. And although Sasuke had permission to walk about freely, it would be suspicious if he used the backdoor.

The Uchiha clan wasn't normally so paranoid, but because of Sasuke's quite recent disappearance, the security had been tightened in case his kidnapping was a result of personal vendetta. Therefore people had been given guard duty at night, in case anyone was so bold as to try and break into the compound in hopes of killing a member or get their hands on top-secret information. Sasuke still thought it highly unlikely though that anyone could be so **stupid** as to storm the entire Uchiha clan in a full frontal attack.

As a member of the main branch, Sasuke had also been made aware of the underground exits, but they were all sealed with sensors. Should he pass through them, Sasuke would alert the entire compound and he would get every battle-ready ninja within vicinity to go hunting for an intruder, thinking they were under attack and that was why he was running away. Not the most discreet way to escape, no, but an efficient solution in case of an attack. No, the back entrance was the best option, if he could just come up with an excuse to leave the compound silently.

He could always tell them he was visiting Neji?

The two of them weren't friends, just grudgingly forced to acknowledge one another. But sometimes they trained together, if only to get bragging rights until the next training session. Sasuke was willing to admit they were acquaintances, perhaps teetering on distant friends? It didn't really matter because it was his golden excuse to use the back entrance at this time of night. Teyaki and Uruchi lived on the opposite side of Shisui by the compound entrance. The two of them were a curious lot and Sasuke had never really liked Uruchi.

There was an open rivalry between some of the Uchiha clan members and the members of the Hyuga clan. Naturally, those involved didn't like it when two promising young ninjas of the two rivalling clans kept in touch, even as mere acquaintances. If Uruchi saw him leave, she would surely gossip about it to the rest of the clan, and then Sasuke would never hear the end of it. It had happened before. Not that his parents or his brother cared whether or not he was friends with Neji, but Sasuke didn't want to be the cause of unnecessary ruckus. That was why discretion was in order.

Quickly repacking the travelling bag Itachi had given him, Sasuke only brought certain necessities for sleep, food and protection. The only thing he absolutely had to bring was a soothing salve he could apply to the itching seal, but that had also been the first thing he had packed. He really didn't plan on being long this time, so he could safely pack only a minimal amount of food and water. The pantry had only dried food like meat and fruit, but he could always find fresh berries and mushrooms in the wild and he had also been taught how to catch fish and set traps. He wasn't **that** clueless.

With his parents in another part of the house, Sasuke opened his bedroom door quietly before he snuck outside. He was proud of his stealth. It was one of the things he had immediately gotten the hang of when he had first started his ninja training. Running across the compound, Sasuke carefully picked the lock on the pantry door. He estimated he had five minutes until Itachi would be back with Shisui. Sasuke filled his bag to the edge, grabbing whatever he could get his hands on. When he was done he quickly locked the door after him as he headed for the back entrance.

Hidden by the dark as he stood by the fence that separated the Uchiha compound from the rest of Konoha, Sasuke quickly threw his bag over the fence before he slithered up to the entrance. It was usually two guards on duty, but Sasuke could only spot one. Tekka? His eyes squinted through the poor light as he tried to make out the face. Yes, it was Tekka. He and Yakumi were usually assigned guard duty together. He sighed with relief. Although not on particularly good terms, Sasuke had nothing against the men. He actually preferred their company to many other clan members.

"Hi Tekka." Sasuke greeted casually as he appeared from the shadows. Tekka barely raised an eyebrow as he scanned the dark where Sasuke had appeared. Sasuke cocked his head questioningly as Tekka craned his neck in his search for something. "What are you looking at?"

"I thought I heard something fall, but I can't see anything and I can't leave my post until Yakumi returns." Tekka explained, obviously conflicted about how to proceed.

"Well, I was leaving to see Neji anyway, so I can take a look for you." Sasuke offered, feeling like quite the gentleman for offering.

Tekka snorted as he turned to look at Sasuke. "And what will your brother do to me once he finds out I let you investigate a potential threat on your own?"

Sasuke smirked, shrugging dismissively as he made his way past Tekka. "Fine, suit yourself, but if the clan is attacked tonight, don't blame me," he said, before stopping dead in his tracks. "Where is Yakumi anyway?" Sasuke asked casually over his shoulder, knowing perfectly well where Yakumi was and what he was doing. He had heard from Neji once about the budding attraction between a member of the Uchiha clan and the Hyuga clan. Of all the Uchihas in Konoha, Sasuke had never expected Yakumi to be the one. The guy was usually so hung up on his duties and his responsibilities, Sasuke had a hard time imagining him as a lovesick fool.

Paling visibly, Tekka swallowed thickly as his wrung his hands in a nervous gesture. "… Fine, go and take a look, but at the slightest sign of danger, you come back and report to me," he snapped, looking hesitantly at Sasuke as if not really believing he was allowing this. Sasuke grinned winningly as he waved his hand. "If I get killed, I'll let you know," he assured him, enjoying the sound of Tekka's palm as it connected with the man's forehead. Yes, Tekka would most certainly be biting his nails now until Yakumi returned.

Fetching his dropped bag, Sasuke continued with haste. Itachi and Shisui were surely waiting for him in his room now. When they would finally realise he had disappeared again, Itachi would be on his heels faster than Sasuke could plead the fifth. And was it one thing Sasuke knew from firsthand experience, it was how Itachi excelled at tracking. He had little time and lots of things to be done. Well, not really lots of things, but certainly a number of challenging things. Honestly speaking, he wasn't even sure if he would be able to locate Orochimaru through the seal, but he was convinced he would be able to locate him somehow since he knew the location of Jiraiya's grave.

Of course, he had told the others where the grave was as well, but he doubted they had been there yet. He had an advantage since he knew its exact location. Sasuke couldn't help but relish in the fact that only he knew something the others didn't. And the fact that it was such handy information he was carrying on was something Sasuke was unused to. He had never been trusted with important information. Or, it was more like he had never had the need to know because he had never been involved before.

But this time he was. And he was determined to set things right again and find a solution. Besides, he had been bothered by Orochimaru's last words to him. He really felt like he was missing something. As if Orochimaru was playing a game that went far above his head, and he wasn't even a Go piece (2) on the board. He had just so conveniently been there and Orochimaru had taken advantage of his ignorance. Sasuke wouldn't even be surprised if his theory were dead-on.

With Orochimaru's hummed reply to Sasuke's gratitude swirling in his head, the raven-haired man squared his jaw as he picked up his pace. He was stubborn, a bit clueless at times and not all that much of a character judge really. However, he would be damned should he ever make the same mistake twice. And Sasuke was a man of honour and he was taught to correct his mistakes. That was exactly what he was going to do. He had no intention of fighting Orochimaru. He knew he wasn't strong enough to complete such a dangerous mission alone, but he was going to return under the pretence that he had run away.

"_An eye for an eye. A favour for a favour."_

Sasuke narrowed his eyes challengingly. Two could play this game, and he wasn't one to disappoint.

* * *

_Quick dictionary:_

_Aisai: Beloved wife_

_Baka: Idiot_

_Otouto: Little/Younger brother_

(1) Hideki and Katsuro are just two names I randomly chose. They have no importance in this story whatsoever.

(2) Go was originally a Chinese strategy board game, but it later spread to Japan and Korea. I wrote 'Go piece' instead of 'chess piece'. Information is taken from the English Wikipedia.

* * *

If any of you were wondering, Iruka does not have free access to the village, even though his mother was originally from Tsuyu. I also tried to look at pictures of Naruto wearing his orange jacket and to me it really looked like it had a snug collar. So either way, in this story, the jacket has a snug collar where the neck is not visible when the jacket is (partially) zipped. And Itachi hasn't connected the pieces yet because, 1) He has never seen Kimimaro's seal, and 2) Itachi trusts his brother more than he trusts himself. He'll get there eventually though!

And I think Sasuke would only allow himself to be vulnerable in front of Itachi because of their good relationship. Sasuke has been too dependent on his brother until now, and he's trying to handle too much too fast. That's why Sasuke is easily overwhelmed by his emotions when Itachi confronts him.

Please check my profile **after Christmas 2010** has passed for further notice on the next update. I'll probably try to update in January.

And if your eyes aren't too sore after the long chapter: Leave a review and be rewarded with an invisible cyber Sasuke in a bunny outfit!

P-Ys


	4. Motive

_Special thanks to: niceladysakura, moopad, force majeur, Evil Angel4, Hot-Emo-Athiest, takuya, MoJoJessJo for kind reviews! Your words are a great encouragement to me!_

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto. I make no profit from this.

**Notes:** 1) Orochimaru is in his mid-fifties, if you were wondering. 2) Kimimaro will be calling Orochimaru for Orochimaru-sama because I didn't know how else to show how much Kimimaro respects him. And I'll be paying homage to Brokeback Mountain here! Yeah, don't ask.

'_Thoughts'_

**Emphasis on a word**

* * *

_**Chapter 4: Motive (something, as a need or desire, that causes a person to act)**_

Shisui was scared. Not scared in the there's-a-monster-under-my-bed kind of scared, but I'm-sure-he's-going-to-kill-me kind of scared. And that meant he was seriously **scared**. The sole reason for his fear was running in front of him at breakneck speed, heading for the now well-known Airi Mountains. Shisui could say Itachi was furious, but it would be an inaccurate description because he had seen Itachi furious before, and it had been nothing like this.

On the other hand, Shisui sympathised, glad he didn't have a fool for a brother. He understood Itachi's concern, he really did, but frankly speaking, the following ruckus had been unnecessary. Itachi had stormed into his mother's private chambers, uncaring whether she was even properly dressed or not. And she had only looked at him with questioning eyes, not even scolding him for his unexpected and rude entry. Itachi had just scanned the room before he had demanded to see his little brother.

It was when Mikoto had replied she didn't know what he was talking about that Itachi's eyes had narrowed with murderous intent. And for once, Shisui doubted Sasuke would be safe once his brother got a hold of him again. So here they were, on their way back to that godforsaken place before scheduled. It was a bitter truth and Shisui already missed Konoha. They had been going at it nonstop for days, and Shisui was becoming impatient and tired at the same time. It was a weird combination that made his bones protest and caused his muscles to ache in a way he had never experienced before.

Oh well, Shisui always felt inclined to take one for the team. Besides, they should reach Tsuyu shortly with the pace they were going at. Everything would be worth it if they managed to save Sasuke and make Itachi happy again. God, when had his world boiled down to just the two Uchiha brothers? He seriously needed to go on a solo mission ASAP!

"We'll be there soon. Do we still have access to the village?" Shisui asked cautiously, hoping Itachi would at least deign him with a glance, despite his crappy mood.

"The village seals will still accept us as long as Iruka hasn't crossed the border." Itachi replied succinctly, and Shisui fooled himself to think Itachi might have managed to warm up a little during their run. "Why are we in such a hurry-" he began, but quickly trailed off when Itachi actually took the time to turn around to glare at him before quickening their pace even further.

Shisui swallowed. He was still hedging around the question he really wanted to ask. It was a question of great importance, and its answers could possibly hold some great revelation, because despite everything, Shisui didn't really understand the full consequences of Sasuke's unexpected disappearance. And he knew he didn't know because from his standpoint, Sasuke could take care of himself, to a certain extent at least.

So there was this entire deal about the seal and the Bond and whatnot, but in all its simplicity, it shouldn't be anything alarming. But that was just the thing, because right now Itachi was as close to panicking as Shisui had ever seen him, and that meant Itachi knew something he didn't, but his best friend was oddly tight-lipped about the situation and that left Shisui with only his assumptions.

He was supposed to get a briefing in Sasuke's room, but Itachi had wanted to wait for Sasuke first. When Itachi had realised his little brother was missing, the entire briefing process had kind of gone down the drain in everyone's hurry to locate Sasuke. And that left Shisui in the dark with a very bad feeling in his stomach. But luckily, he wasn't a fool, and Shisui knew his only area of expertise where he matched Itachi was seal usage. His guess was that Sasuke had gone to his brother in hopes of breaking the Bond with the blonde. While Itachi had gone to fetch him, Sasuke had had second thoughts and turned tail before his brother got back.

However, that hypothesis only gave Itachi the right to be slightly offended, not downright murderous. So Shisui would just have to settle with the fact that he was missing a big key piece of the puzzle, and he would not be brought up to speed until Itachi decided to indulge him. His bastard best friend always knew how to keep him intrigued.

Panting slightly, Shisui caught up with Itachi who had now stopped at the base of the Airi Mountains. If they were to continue with the same speed, they would scale the mountains within just hours. They hadn't seen Sasuke on the way either, so that probably meant he had reached Tsuyu by now.

"Let's go." Itachi ordered and Shisui obediently followed his lead.

They didn't talk again until the village revealed itself below them. Itachi didn't even hesitate as he crossed the border, not even waiting to see if Shisui followed. His head was going back and forth, so he was obviously trying to find someone. Shisui guessed it was either Naruto or Iruka. Iruka was probably still with Kakashi, and Naruto was either at home or at the headquarters. It had been obvious to Shisui that Naruto had little interest in anything else but work, Sasuke and an occasional friend.

Naruto's blonde head was easy enough to spot in front of the headquarters. He was deep in discussion with one of the locals, but when he noticed Shisui and Itachi, he quickly excused himself to greet them. He walked up to Itachi with a grin, and Shisui was surprised the blonde hadn't picked up the Uchiha's bad mood. He had to be suicidal.

"Hey, I'm so glad you're back early. It feels as if the bond is ready to snap." Naruto said, offering his hand to Itachi.

"It is," was Itachi's curt reply as he took Naruto's hand to drag him away to a more private place. Shisui trailed after them with a frown. Naruto mirrored his expression as the assassin finally picked up the tense vibes in the air.

"What do you mean? Is there more trouble brewing? There was a break-in in the headquarters last night. Someone has searched our archives for village information. Is it connected somehow?" Naruto inquired, looking guarded when Itachi stopped to turn around.

"Sasuke has gone after Orochimaru on his own."

Shisui had to admire Naruto's reaction when the blonde only pursed his lips with a look that demanded clarification. Frankly, he had sort of assumed the assassin would throw a hissy fit and simply throw himself headfirst into the fire after Sasuke. He would have done so himself if his partner had been in trouble. Shisui was selfless like that, but still no fool. He had his priorities. Itachi would kill him if he ever failed a mission because he had tried to save someone instead.

If he didn't manage to complete important missions, a lot of people could die because of his mistake. Itachi would never allow him to commit such a grievous error, but that was because Itachi had an uncanny ability to weave his priorities into something beneficial and make it a part of the village's interest. One fine example of this was Sasuke. The little toddler might be an Uchiha and a damn capable one at that, but his wonderfully peaceful and pleasant childhood was granted to him through the manipulative ways of his big brother. Everyone knew it, but no one dared to call Itachi on it.

"Why?"

"Sasuke has been marked with Orochimaru's cursed seal, his cursed blood seal." Itachi's expression darkened. "I asked him directly if Orochimaru had used his blood, but Sasuke lied to me, said he hadn't."

Naruto's sombre expression froze over. "Are you saying **my** Bonded shares a second **blood** link with a highly dangerous missing-nin?"

Itachi nodded. "Exactly what I'm saying. The seal probably covers his entire back and chest now. It's suppressing the connection the two of you have, trying to replace it."

"Is he hurting?"

"I think it pains him. The two bonds are on equal footing now, which means they overlap each other. In this very moment, Orochimaru has had free access to the entire village, probably for days, because of his link with Sasuke."

Naruto's deep intake of breath clearly conveyed his disapproval of Sasuke's abrupt decision, and suddenly Shisui understood everything. Sasuke was dying and suddenly Tsuyu was threatened from the inside. And how was anyone going to solve anything when no one knew why Orochimaru had acted like he'd done in the first place? They were all left none the wiser and now they were working against the clock. Time was of the essence and Shisui was almost eagerly awaiting orders.

"Shisui, get Iruka and Kakashi. Go see Tsunade. Naruto and I will head for the grave."

Shisui disappeared without a word. Itachi didn't even see him off, only kept his eyes glued on Naruto as the blonde checked his pockets and utility belt. The Uchiha faintly wondered why the blonde was almost unarmed, but didn't bother asking him. They obviously had to pick up weapons first, and possibly map out a plan before they could leave.

"Orochimaru has a limited number of places to hide because we patrol the mountain area regularly. Tsunade used to take missions in the mountains before, so maybe she knows where he could be." Naruto suggested conversationally as they trudged to his home for supplies.

Itachi frowned, zeroing in on Naruto's house in the distance as he considered the possibility. "How long ago was that? A lot of things can change in a decade or two."

"Not sure, but it's not wrong to assume she was in the mountains at the same time as Jiraiya. Maybe they even met?"

"Hn. You should get Sakura to ask her. They are close, aren't they?"

"Sakura is her student, yes. Tsunade is quite fond of her. I'm sure Sakura can make her spill the beans if she knows anything." Naruto mused, opening the door to his home and heading straight for the weapon cabinet in the back of the room.

"And on a different, but not unrelated topic, did you know your mother once was Orochimaru's student?" Itachi asked abruptly, carefully analysing the blonde's reaction.

"I know," was the short reply as the blonde geared up. Itachi tilted his head a little, wondering why Naruto got so defensive all of a sudden. The assassin was usually very open about his difficult childhood. However, Itachi doubted it would in any way hamper Sasuke's rescue. The two of them didn't agree on much, but the one thing they did agree on was that Sasuke was of the utmost priority. And Itachi would never be so foolish as to kill those who treasured his little brother.

Sasuke needed all the protection he could get.

* * *

Iruka woke up with a bad feeling in his stomach. And his suspicion was only confirmed when someone knocked on the door with unbridled urgency. With a curse, he stumbled up from bed and into the living room. Although his movements were sluggish and uncoordinated, his mind was perfectly clear, and it unnerved him a little. The clock on the wall told him it was noon, and Iruka flushed when he thought about the activities that had kept him up so far into the night.

Iruka was usually up with the birds and started every morning with a steaming cup of coffee and a freshly printed newspaper. By the time the streets started bustling with life, Iruka had peacefully listened to the silence for a good hour already, pondering about life and small trivialities that came to mind. He would start his day by teaching a class at the academy before he met up with friends to catch up a little. Of course, he was occasionally sent out on important missions accompanied by Shisui and Itachi, but S-class missions were rare these days and Iruka was growing a little weary of it. He loved the camaraderie he shared with his team, but he felt like he was getting too old for missions of that calibre. Besides, he found himself treasuring his time with the children more and more.

This could very well be his last mission before he requested a transfer. Iruka liked the thought of it. It appealed to him and made him feel relieved. He didn't have to feel guilty about it either, because his absence wouldn't leave his comrades crippled in any way. He was going to voice his wish as soon as Sasuke had settled down with Naruto and everything went back to normal. He saw no need to pile on with small troubles when Itachi was so much on edge as he was at the moment.

The knocking had woken up Kakashi too, but he hadn't bothered to roll out of bed when he had a perfectly capable dolphin around to do the job twice his speed. He was a proud slob, and never hurried unless it demanded urgency. Kakashi had never once encountered anything even remotely urgent, and as such, continued his life in perfectly lazy bliss with his jaded attitude on life.

However, when the bond between him and his mate started pulsing distressingly, Kakashi had never been so quick to open his eyes before. By the time Kakashi had managed to crawl out of bed and run into the living room, the bond was practically quivering, and the silver-haired assassin couldn't even tell the fleeting emotions apart from each other. His bond mate was in distress and Kakashi was going to execute the one responsible. Picking up a discarded kunai from the table, Kakashi stormed up to Iruka who stood as if petrified by the door, listening intently to the visitor.

"What's wrong?" Kakashi asked as he sidled up behind his mate, weapon at the ready in his left hand. He was surprised to find Shisui on the other side and quickly had to resign himself to the fact that Shisui could not be killed.

"Doing quite well, you said?" Iruka hissed, giving Kakashi the evil eye as Shisui mournfully looked at the ground. Kakashi squared his shoulders, realising he had suddenly been thrown onto thin ice, but having no explanation as to why. "You," Iruka jabbed his chest with a firm index finger, "said Sasuke and Naruto were okay now, but… but they're not!"

Kakashi blinked at the blatant lack of eloquence.

Okay, so something had happened in Paradise, but why would it affect his relationship with Iruka? Unless the blonde had screwed up and done something completely taboo, hurting Sasuke in the process and as a result pissed off Iruka by default? And that had him thinking. Where was Itachi? If his little brother were blowing off steam somewhere, then surely the other one would be here right now to yell at Kakashi too for raising such an insensitive blonde or something equally stupid. _'Itachi seems like type who likes picking on people.'_ Kakashi grumbled.

"Love, you have to fill me in here." Kakashi reminded, massaging the brunette's right shoulder in a comforting gesture in hopes of calming him down.

"Sasuke has gone after Orochimaru because he wanted to break the bond with Naruto!" Iruka shouted and Kakashi stopped his ministrations so he could digest everything. It didn't make any sense. Orochimaru had no way to break the bond. He was powerful, but not omniscient. "Orochimaru gave Sasuke a seal and it's killing him." Iruka finished, looking lost and quite downtrodden. Hadn't this been in the middle of a very serious situation, Kakashi would have found the brunette quite endearing.

Truthfully speaking, he always found his little dolphin endearing, but despite popular belief, Kakashi knew when to shut up and focus. "Itachi and Naruto have gone after him, I presume?" he asked instead, moving his arm to wrap it firmly around his distressed mate.

"Affirmative. I have been ordered to see your chieftain." Shisui replied, and it was with that answer Kakashi suddenly realised the depth of the situation. He was no longer dealing with Shisui, the deadly prankster from Konoha. Oh no, he was dealing with an experienced Konoha ninja on a mission. And if Shisui had reverted back to his professional behaviour only reserved for critical missions, Kakashi was glad he wasn't in the presence of Itachi right now. He could only imagine how that high-strung git was drilling Naruto to the bone.

"Let's find Tsunade," he proposed, already pushing his worried dolphin out the door.

* * *

Sasuke had a plan.

Kinda, sorta, maybe.

He had planned to backtrack to Jiraiya's grave and then wing it from there, but now that he was here, Sasuke didn't really know how he was going to wing it. The last time he had run away, Naruto had managed to find him with surprising accuracy and very little effort. Sasuke strongly suspected it had something to do with the bond, but he couldn't be certain. He had never felt any strong connection to Naruto, despite whatever the blonde had done to try to convince Sasuke of his own remarkable experience.

Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that he wasn't a local? Maybe he just wasn't as attuned to whatever it was Naruto connected with whenever the blonde wanted to find him?

Okay, he was starting to feel a little stupid now and ever so slightly desperate. He couldn't very well go back to the village and explain to his Bonded that his improvised plan had fallen rather short. It would be highly embarrassing and Sasuke hadn't even managed to accomplish anything!

With a sigh, he dropped his bag on the ground outside the cave and sat down to ponder his next move. It couldn't be **that** hard to track down Orochimaru, especially not now when they were so connected. Arranging his limbs so he was sitting comfortably, Sasuke closed his eyes and tried to focus. Itachi had taught him how to meditate when he was a child, and Sasuke put the practice to good use as he tried to locate the bond… Or was it bonds?

Not important.

Looking down himself, Sasuke was pleased to conclude that the numbing salve had worked its wonder. While the seal was still as inky black and obvious as before, its side effects no longer bothered Sasuke. It had rid him of his restlessness brought forth from the constant itching.

Taking a deep breath, Sasuke tried to search his mind for something unusual. While he didn't know exactly what the bond would look like, he was still pretty sure its look differed from anything else in his mind, and it was possibly more sensational than it was visual. He couldn't exclude any options and had to be open-minded about it. Basically, he had to thoroughly search his own mind for something that could even remotely remind him of a bond.

He cleared his thoughts and concentrated solely on his wish to find Orochimaru. He waited patiently to see if he got any response to his inquiry, but his mind stayed just as blank and lonesome. He tried to look for a light, or just a sign of life or an unfamiliar presence, in his head. Nothing came to him. Even furrowing his eyebrows and concentrating harder didn't give him any results, and eventually Sasuke cracked an eye open with resignation.

Okay, he was obviously doing this wrong.

Maybe it would be easier to see if he could locate Naruto first? He had been around Naruto long before he had even met Orochimaru, so if he trained himself by finding Naruto first, he might be more qualified to find Orochimaru afterward.

Steeling himself, Sasuke repeated the process, sitting God knew how long with nothing to go after.

He tried to envision Naruto. From the cute, dimpled smile and the glowing blue eyes that always lit up when they landed on him. Even the horribly orange jacket he was currently wearing and the little run-down cottage of his, brought involuntarily an amused smirk on Sasuke's face, despite his supposed deep concentration.

Just when he was about to give up, he was struck with the worst compulsion ever to get up and just **go**. Confused, Sasuke opened his eyes to find his head turned, facing a forest path bending its way through the underbrush. He really wanted to follow that path, had a real hankering, but he couldn't explain why. A niggling voice in his head (or was it a tight feeling in his chest?) eagerly told him to go that way. Sasuke could only assume Naruto was in that direction, probably edging closer to his location by the minute.

A little put out, Sasuke blinked owlishly a couple of times to gather himself and convince his mind and body that he wasn't really looking for Naruto. When his blood had finally settled down in his veins and his mind no longer screamed at him, Sasuke's face lit up as he realised he had partially succeeded in his plan. He was almost there! Now, if he could just track Orochimaru in the same way.

Encouraged, Sasuke closed his eyes again, trying to do what he had done when he had been looking for Naruto. The only problem was that he didn't know much about Orochimaru, and so he couldn't visualise the pale man as vividly as had managed to conjure images of the blonde in his mind. Scowling, Sasuke tried to improvise, but he only caught himself mixing up Orochimaru with objects and characteristics belonging to Naruto.

In other words, he was failing miserably at locating Orochimaru.

"Tracking someone through the bond has nothing to do with concentration and everything to do about emotional ties," a deep voice drawled as if talking to a biology professor who had just proclaimed that humans stemmed from reptiles.

Sasuke's eyes snapped open and his eyes immediately fell on the man leaning casually up against the cave entrance. It wasn't Orochimaru, but he was just as pale and looked just as crazy. Sasuke had learned from last time to be cautious around unfamiliar people up in uncharted mountains. He could at least comfort himself with the knowledge that the man was unarmed. He could still be very skilled with hand-to-hand combat, but it was nice to know that Sasuke wouldn't have to watch out for any sudden flying projectiles heading his way.

After a closer inspection of the man, his initial thought went to the man's eyebrows, or lack thereof. A single red dot over each eye kept his gaze locked, and it took some time before he got to the real point of interest. The man wore a low-cut white v-neck and Sasuke could barely glimpse the black pattern beneath it. While the pattern was slightly different from his, not quite as swirly, he supposed, the marks were unmistakable. This had to be Orochimaru's first test subject, the one Itachi had mentioned. But what on earth was he doing here? Clearly not to kill him, or he would have done it while he had been meditating. And that reminded him how weird it was that Sasuke had not been alerted to his presence.

"When Orochimaru-sama said I had a new brother, I didn't expect it to be something as scrawny as you," the man continued, looking smug as he eyed Sasuke with detached interest.

Sasuke blinked in disbelief. Fine, he could admit he was not a man who relied much on strength because his physical prowess didn't allow it, but bloody hell! The guy couldn't possible be taller than him and he certainly wasn't burly. He highly doubted that lean frame could hide the strength of ten men, but with the way the newcomer was behaving, Sasuke wouldn't be surprised if he had something up his sleeve.

"For the record, little brother, you didn't sense me because of the bond you have with Orochimaru-sama. It does not consider me a threat."

"That's ridiculous. The bond shouldn't affect me that much." Sasuke protested. "And I'm not your brother," he added petulantly.

"But you see, **little** brother, that's where you are wrong. Your stupid blonde has been downplaying the bond considerably, possibly in an attempt to not scare you off. But while you are swayed on an unconscious level, your little mate on the other hand…" the stranger trailed off. "I'm Kimimaro, by the way," he introduced himself indifferently, looking expectantly at Sasuke for an introduction. When none was forthcoming, Kimimaro continued: "I'm here on behalf of Orochimaru-sama. He could sense you were looking for him."

"I want to break the bond."

Kimimaro snorted. "Sorry, no can do."

"Why not?"

"Why would you? You should feel honoured." Kimimaro shot back, eagerly bending forward over Sasuke. "If you let the seal evolve and reach its final level, you will have access to Orochimaru-sama's **own** powers."

"As if that doesn't go both ways." Sasuke hissed. "And in a tug-of-war, who do you really think would win?" he added sourly as an afterthought.

"Details, little brother, details." Kimimaro replied, waving it off impatiently. "Orochimaru-sama rarely has to lend power from me, and it has never happened in combat before."

"I told you to stop calling me your little brother." Sasuke reminded, standing up and eyeing him warily.

Kimimaro straightened his posture, mirroring Sasuke's guarded stance. "I only speak the truth. We share two different versions of the same blood seal. It makes us family. And as I'm too young to be anyone's father, logic dictates I must be your brother." he explained, looking particularly pleased with the notion of gaining a new family member.

Giving up a lost cause, Sasuke zeroed in on the real problem at hand. "I need to see Orochimaru. I want to know where he is."

His question made Kimimaro laugh heartily as he straightened his stance, looking rigid. "You think him a fool?" he hissed, and Sasuke was convinced he was given the evil eye. "Orochimaru-sama knew you would eventually find out, so he has already finished his business and long since left the mountains."

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "Then why did he leave you behind?"

Kimimaro's left eye twitched and his mouth contracted into a sneer. "I had to deal with a stray brother first." His lips twisted cruelly. "You have outlived your use."

Sasuke wasted no time in drawing two kunai from his utility belt and taking a defensive stance. He was surprised however when Kimimaro made no move to attack. Instead he sort of eyed him curiously, analysing him and calculating his next move. Or at least, that's what Sasuke hoped he was doing. He seemed awfully relaxed where he stood, and when the man's wicked grin widened, Sasuke became completely alert.

"Do you want to see what power Orochimaru-sama helped me achieve?" Kimimaro asked, moving his right arm up and behind his shoulder, his hand open and waiting as if he had a sword strapped to his back. Sasuke swallowed hard, his grip tightening around his weapons. He watched wide-eyed as something white suddenly crawled up from Kimimaro's neck, settling itself calmly in the palm of his hand. It was impossible! Sasuke could have sworn Kimimaro had been unarmed. With a vicious tug, Kimimaro sent the object flying toward Sasuke like a lethal whip.

On pure reflex, Sasuke raised his weapons to block, and his eyes almost popped out of their sockets when he recognised the weapon for what it was. He shot Kimimaro a surprised glance, uncomfortable with how the man seemed so at ease with the morbid situation. "I can now pull out my spine and I use it as my primary weapon." Kimimaro explained conversationally and Sasuke grunted. "I have strengthened it with blood seals so it's naturally much stronger than regular bone. It's hard to scratch, impossible to dent."

Kimimaro smirked as he lashed out again. Sasuke was quick to block him, but realised he had to keep his distance. Kimimaro's mid-range weapon was dangerous because Sasuke didn't have much open space in this clearing, making it hard for him to get at a distance, and his kunai were useless in close range with a whip, unless he was going to spend the rest of his miserable life blocking like hell. That did not mean Sasuke was in deep trouble though, because his real big brother had managed to beat some survival instinct into him during his childhood.

He would have to use a hide-and-seek tactic in the woods, hoping Kimimaro would chase after him. He could use the trees farther up in the terrain as a shield while he attacked from the shadows. For any average ninja, this idea would only be a mediocre attempt at survival, but for someone with the ability to create illusions, Sasuke's odds were much better. His illusions were perhaps laughable compared to his brother, and highly ineffective against his own clan, but to any other skilled fighter, it was a threatening factor that had to be taken into account.

He just hoped Kimimaro didn't know too much about the Uchiha clan's ability.

Sasuke had learned from the best, but while Itachi could fool his own clan members with his powerful illusions, Sasuke's could easily shatter with the right approach. Itachi had a knack for imitating sound when he created illusions, and he could still keep the illusions strong for hours, making his victim lose all sense of time while trapped in an illusion. Sasuke, on the other hand, while he could create strong visionary illusions, he had not yet managed to imitate sound. He could block sounds from entering an illusion, but he could not create illusions with an auditory track. It was a dangerous flaw to have, especially now when he relied so strongly on his ability.

He didn't have a chance to run for it before Kimimaro attacked. Sasuke quickly parried and he soon ended up dancing around Kimimaro with clever sidesteps and lightning reflexes, efficiently blocking and dodging blow after powerful blow. Sasuke had inherited the Uchiha-ability to think on his feet, but what he excelled at was speed and agility. His swift nimbleness was something few in the Uchiha clan could keep up with, and that said something.

Kimimaro was not lacking in speed either, though. And Sasuke found himself grateful for Kimimaro's choice of weapon. The whip had to follow the laws of physics, and although Kimimaro was light on his wrist, the whip still used a fraction of an extra second to change direction, and Sasuke was thankful for small mercies. Falling to the ground, swiping his leg and forcing Kimimaro to jump as he went, Sasuke took a handful of dirt and threw it in the man's eyes as he landed.

It was an underhanded tactic, but Sasuke was no fool. He prioritised his life, thank you very much.

Running for higher terrain, Sasuke strained his ears to hear if Kimimaro took the bait. Turning around to look when he heard nothing, Sasuke stopped dead in his tracks, completely flummoxed. Not only was he not being chased, but also the pale man had even the gal to stand with his back turned to him. Sasuke could clearly see from the distance the red area on Kimimaro's exposed neck, still sore from where he had pulled out his weapon. He looked vulnerable with his back turned and Sasuke itched to attempt an ambush.

Was the man merely biding his time, patiently waiting for him to find a hiding spot so he later could be hunted down and slaughtered?

Kimimaro's hand twitched repeatedly around the whip, apparently the man was itching to have a go at something, but even when squinting, Sasuke really couldn't distinguish what. Kimimaro was fixating on a spot somewhere on a bush on the other side of clearing, but from the distance, Sasuke could see nothing menacing or of interest. Annoyed, Sasuke put away his kunai and backtracked, intending to check what had Kimimaro so entranced all of a sudden.

With a hand on his utility belt, Sasuke edged closer. Then it suddenly hit him. A voice. Kimimaro's voice was floating up to him, quiet and demure. Sasuke stilled and stared. He could have sworn Kimimaro was only facing air. But his fascination with seemingly nothingness seemed familiar to Sasuke. It was something he had seen before, something he had seen when Itachi had trapped his opponents in illusions. Sasuke had eagerly stood on the sidelines of the practice field, glowing with pride on his brother's behalf.

But this wasn't the practice field and Itachi shouldn't even be around!

Refusing to be outdone, Sasuke flexed his fingers tryingly. He wasn't great at hand-to-hand combat, but he was far from an amateur. Crouching down in preparation, Sasuke was caught completely off guard when someone grabbed the scruff of his jacket and physically dragged him away from Kimimaro. He was thrown not so mercifully into the closest tree trunk and a fist soon imbedded itself into the bark beside his head. Sasuke could only meet the sharp blue-eyed gaze with burning anger.

"Why do you always do that? Why do you always remove me from danger?" he shouted, doing his damndest to stomp Naruto on the feet, but failing miserably. Naruto didn't even reply as he trapped Sasuke's body with his own. His face was drawn and Sasuke was taken aback because he had never seen Naruto look so pale before. It made him stop his weak attempts at freedom and instead inspect the blonde in front of him. Naruto looked exactly the same as when Sasuke had last seen him, but there was something old and hurting in his eyes that had not been present before.

With Sasuke docile, Naruto used his available hand to forcefully pull down one side of the jacket, exposing his t-shirt, his bare arms and more importantly the blood seal. "See this? This is proof! This is fucking proof that we… that we are… what we have… That this is right!" Naruto's fist trembled. At Sasuke's bewildered look, Naruto took a deep breath and let his hands fall to his sides. "Had you not already been bonded to me, the seal would have consumed you already," he explained tiredly, looking nothing but defeated and weary.

Sasuke felt his stomach lurch, and not in a good way. He felt guilty as sin. "I'm sorry, Naruto. I think I can stop him," he explained. "I'm trying," he amended quickly, swallowing his next rush of words in hopes of appearing confident.

Naruto chuckled mirthlessly. "There is nothing you can do when you're tied to him. He can kill you with a mere thought." Naruto took hold of his shoulders and stared down at him with a hard expression. "That seal is like poison, you fool."

"I'm sorry." Sasuke repeated, deeply ashamed of his actions and feeling a little insulted. What must his family think of him? A gullible fool, he was, and now he had helped Tsuyu on its way to destruction. "I don't even know what he wants," he admitted dishearteningly. He was not giving up though. Why did everyone seem to think he should give up? No one ever achieved anything by giving up. He had read that in countless of books and had heard many glorious stories from the battlefield.

"Your brother and I think he entered the village to look for the location of the seals protecting Tsuyu."

Sasuke stiffened. He had been right. Orochimaru wanted Tsuyu gone. A finger under his chin tilted his head gently, forcing him to meet Naruto's reassuring look. "There are four seals which has to be taken down in the correct order. We'll stop him before then," he assured, leaning forward to rest his head on Sasuke's crown with a sigh. "I'm so mad right now," he whispered and Sasuke was almost relieved. He had never feared a reproaching look of disappointment as much as he had feared receiving one from Naruto.

"I'm sor-"

"I know you are. I understand." Naruto assured him gently and Sasuke just smiled bitterly in response.

How nice that Naruto understood. But he had been met with understanding all his life. What he wanted, no, what he needed from Naruto now was forgiveness. And the blonde seemed slightly reluctant to give him that. Or maybe Sasuke was just terrible at asking for it properly. He had no bloody idea anymore…

"I just wish it hadn't turned out like this," he finished. Sasuke wished the same, but he had no desire to voice his opinion. He just wanted Naruto to hold him and pat his head and give him one of his huge grins and just be his Bonded. Mind you, he still wasn't going to give up, but he was going to smooth things over and not act as rashly.

"Can you remove the seal for me?" Sasuke asked quickly in an attempt to divert the blonde's attention from his previous failures.

"I can, but in order to remove it we will have to reinforce our own bond."

"Um, uh, sex?"

"Yes, sex." Naruto chuckled, making Sasuke breathless in his sudden anticipation. While he understood that the circumstances could have been much better, he couldn't get himself to mind as much as he probably should have. "I have even rigged up a tent for privacy," the blonde whispered, causing Sasuke to blush. "You're not getting away from this, Sasuke. Consider it a punishment for your misbehaviour," he warned as he tugged his raven through the woods, going in mindless circles in Sasuke's opinion, but obviously getting somewhere because he soon spotted a camp in a small clearing.

It was a pretty clearing with a small creek trickling by, surrounded by thick underbrush and the occasional wayward tree. It really was private. And Sasuke couldn't even find trodden paths on the ground or see any cave openings in the mountainsides. In other words, they were away from the usual passages and guarding spots of Tsuyu. They could indulge in total privacy.

Naruto led him to the tent and opened the flaps for him, encouraging him to enter. Sasuke hesitated. He hadn't given their first time much thought. Frankly, he had been in denial, sort of. But now that he thought about it, really thought about it, he wasn't against trying again. Without the blood this time, considering it had made Naruto bat-shit crazy the last time he had been so unfortunate as to bleed a drop. If he really wanted to convince himself, Sasuke could almost admit to himself that he would quite possibly have been seduced had the blonde gone a little slower in the beginning.

And all his pros and cons aside, he really had no choice…

"Don't make me pick you up, princess." Naruto teased with an expression that clearly told Sasuke he wasn't joking at all. The youngest Uchiha scrambled in before giving Naruto the opportunity to try.

The tent wasn't luxurious in any way, but it was clean and more than sufficient for its use. Naruto crawled in after him and cleared his throat awkwardly as Sasuke sat down by the opposite end of the opening. "So, uh, how do you want to do this?" he asked, looking at Sasuke encouragingly. The man stiffened and shuffled his feet uncertainly in the small space. Naruto knew that Sasuke didn't have a choice, but he wouldn't mind if Sasuke didn't wear that pitiful expression of eternal doom.

Knowing he had to be gentle, Naruto cautiously moved over to Sasuke and squatted down in front of his mate with a kind smile. "Come here," he said, opening his arms and hoping Sasuke would listen. The Uchiha hesitated for a split second before he ventured over. Naruto wasted no time in diving for the delectable mouth he had missed ever since Sasuke's departure. His tongue teasingly trailed Sasuke's bottom lip, patiently waiting for Sasuke to give him entrance.

His hands went all over the tempting body, leaving opened buttons and zippers in his wake as he did his damndest to expose the ardent skin underneath. It didn't take him long to wrestle Sasuke out of his clothes, despite the raven's obvious hesitation. With the body open to him and ready for ravishing, Naruto moved from Sasuke's mouth to follow his throat down to his collarbone. Naruto took great pleasure in mapping his way across the delicious terrain that was Sasuke with his tongue, bestowing extra attention on the spots that made Sasuke mewl with pleasure.

Sasuke responded in kind to Naruto's administrations, following the blonde's lead. He allowed himself to get caught up in the moment and followed his unyielding need to see Naruto naked. It took him longer time to get Naruto out his clothes because the blonde's urgency in disrobing Sasuke had made manoeuvring difficult for him. But now that Naruto could finally content himself with worshipping his body, he was also pliant enough for Sasuke to push eager limbs through quickly discarded garments.

After a long session of languid kissing, Naruto thought it necessary to continue to the next level. Flipping Sasuke's body over so he ended up on his stomach, Naruto wasted no time in turning his attention to Sasuke's lovely behind. He spent ample time kneading each buttock lovingly, while still trailing butterfly kisses on his raven's shoulders and back, that Sasuke hardly noticed when the blonde slipped a slick finger inside the puckered hole for preparation.

Naruto had decided a long time ago that he would be careful and gentle and loving, doing his best to avoid another fiasco like last time. That's why he took great pleasure in listening to his beloved's soft groans and muffled exclamations of pleasure. Naruto would of course deal with Sasuke's unnecessary need for modesty later on, but right now he took great pleasure in listening to Sasuke trying to deny himself. Naruto bid his time, slowly kissing every inch of delicious skin available to him and taking deep breaths to savour the fresh scent that was ultimately his mate.

Naruto smiled smugly when he pushed in the last finger without Sasuke's breath even hitching. This was going exactly how Naruto had intended the first time. While the blonde wasn't pleased with the circumstances, it delighted him to know he had received a second chance. Naruto was meticulous in his work, obsessed with his need to make this perfect, and he made sure to lavish his beloved with affection to keep his mind occupied.

By the time Naruto deemed him ready, he was surprised to discover his arousal when it suddenly hit him full force. Sasuke heard his strained groan and turned to look over his shoulder. Thank God the raven had no idea how seducing he looked, or else he probably would have been mortified. Without preamble, Sasuke turned on his back and snaked a curious hand around Naruto's hardness. The blonde stopped breathing altogether, watching mesmerised as the raven licked tryingly from the base to the tip, testing the taste on his tongue in such an adorable way it was nearly Naruto's undoing.

"Sasuke." Naruto said, watching amused as Sasuke's head snapped to attention, eyes wide in fear of having done something wrong. "Let me pleasure you tonight," he demanded as he crawled forward so predatorily that Sasuke unconsciously let Naruto position himself quite snugly between his legs. Naruto grinned voraciously when his blunt head butted against Sasuke's hole. Sasuke tensed, before his eyes met blue and a silent communication passed between them.

Naruto bent down so he was level with Sasuke's ear. "I need to hear it, Sasuke," he said, voice rough with need, but his stubbornness was deeply etched into his expectant features. Sasuke had to be willing this time. Naruto would not be accused of rape twice. Sasuke opened his mouth, but the words choked in his throat. But Naruto was patient and teasingly rocked against him once, taking great pleasure in the way Sasuke sucked in his breath.

"You have to tell me," he prodded insistently and watched with satisfaction how the adamant look seemed to resurface in the raven's eyes. Good, it was what Naruto had been hoping for. He was going to distract Sasuke by issuing orders and provoking the raven's ire. It was cute really, how the Uchiha could be so easily sidetracked. He no longer seemed embarrassed with his own nakedness either, but that might be because the two of them were in the same predicament.

Naruto was about to repeat himself, when Sasuke cut him off by muffling his words with a firm hand. "For God's sake, just fuck me already!" he hissed and Naruto chuckled.

"Okay, okay. You never do things by half, do you?" he teased. He knew his beloved had a habit of doing that, using his anger to hide his fear. With a rewarding kiss on the lips, Naruto entered him in one smooth motion, delighting in the way Sasuke turned pliant and boneless for a minute, trying to collect himself.

When his beloved made a move to use his hand to stay quiet, Naruto swooped down to muffle the desirable sound with his own lips instead. Sasuke's moans became louder with every thrust and Naruto had great fun in swallowing the wonderful noises. If it had a taste, Naruto was sure it would be like the sweetest sugar with a lemony tinge at the end. The moans and mewls of unrivalled pleasure made his lips tickle and his arousal harden.

Sasuke's arms moved to cling to his neck as Naruto increased his speed, even abandoning the intoxicating lips to focus on bringing Sasuke over the edge. Lowering himself enough to trap Sasuke's erection between them, Naruto repositioned himself and changed his angle so he was sure to brush against Sasuke's hardness with every thrust. Sasuke's pants became louder and more demanding, hips rising wantonly to meet every thrust, as Naruto quickened his pace with yearning.

When Sasuke's body arched up against him, white stains covering his stomach invitingly, Naruto was quick to bite his own tongue and descend upon Sasuke mercilessly in his throes of passion. His lightly bleeding tongue battled for dominance with Sasuke's, until his mate yielded and allowed him to explore on his volition. His senses became completely overwhelmed with Sasuke clinging to him, fingers biting into his skin with satisfaction. And that coupled with the knowledge and feeling of Naruto himself deeply buried inside his Bonded, sent Naruto tumbling over the edge in a haze of utter fulfilment and gratitude.

He couldn't even get himself to pull out as he fell like a boneless heap to the side, breathing heavily and probably looking like shit. Instead he gathered Sasuke in his arms, revelling in having his embrace full with a satiated mate. Sasuke didn't protest in the slightest, even tucking his head under Naruto's chin, uttering a sound of contentment before he was lost to the world. The blonde didn't dare to move in fear of jostling his lover to awareness. He contented himself with the knowledge that he had made up for the horrible first time and that Sasuke might see him in a more favourable light after this. Naruto knew it was a lot to hope for, but he had nothing to lose by staying hopeful.

After a soft peck to the forehead, Naruto tightened his hold on his precious raven and allowed himself to doze off.

* * *

Itachi stared down at the corpse of Kimimaro. He was unimpressed. He had heard a great deal about Orochimaru and had automatically assumed that the man would choose a student of great skill. Kimimaro had obviously been no student, merely a pawn. Kimimaro had spent the last ten minutes of his life staring emptily into nothingness as he had droned on and on about Orochimaru. He had been cut down quite viciously by Itachi's katana in the end, still quite convinced he had been talking to his hated father from the old days.

In his eagerness to prove to himself and what he believed to be his father, Orochimaru had been more than happy to spill the beans, telling Itachi about what he considered the great story about his new beginning with Orochimaru, added with spicy details to make him appear more successful in the eyes of his imagined father. Kimimaro was having a delusional conversation with himself, and Itachi found himself enjoying it because the man had intended to kill his little brother.

Kimimaro had had it coming since he first attacked Sasuke…

Shrugging dismissively, Itachi turned away and headed for his own camp. Naruto and Sasuke would return in the morning after settling the urgent business with the seal. Itachi shuddered at the thought of what his brother had to experience in this very moment. But it wouldn't help anyone if he thought himself to such a rage that his blood boiled. He had nowhere he could unleash his frustrations, so he just had to calm himself instead. So until morning when he had to meet them, Itachi had nothing better to do than nap.

Kimimaro hadn't known much other than the story of how he came to know Orochimaru, but he had at least been able to confirm what Itachi had suspected. The man really had a weird obsession with Tsuyu. What he needed to know now was whether it was the village itself or rather a villager that had him intrigued. Having heard great stories about Orochimaru's wit and prowess, Itachi would not be surprised if Orochimaru had been the one to kill Naruto's parents.

While he didn't really have a motive to kill Kushina and her husband, it was a clear connection between the two. A connection Itachi wanted to delve deeper into. And he was certain Naruto would know where to begin. The blonde appeared quite goofy with his orange jacket and modest home, but he was cunning. Itachi could not deny the facts. He also cared a great deal about Sasuke, whether the emotions were forced or not. The Uchiha knew he had no right to complain when it came to his brother-in-law. He smiled. Itachi had expected a sister-in-law, but it appeared that Sasuke had left all the production of grandkids to him. What a sneaky little baby brother!

The thought made Itachi glow with pride.

Upon entering his own clearing, he was quick to open the bag Sasuke had brought from Konoha. In his haste to rectify the situation, Naruto had picked up Sasuke, but forgotten the bag. Not that it mattered. Naruto had taken fresh food from Tsuyu with him to bring to their little love nest. Itachi scrunched his nose in distaste. Well, that left him with the dried meat and bread, but he was content enough just to appease his hunger. Besides, he was not the one who would be particularly active this night.

Discarding all his disturbing thoughts, Itachi finished eating and lied down to sleep in his own tent, reluctantly borrowed from Naruto. He was going to have a long thorough chat with his brother tomorrow about the suddenly nasty habit of his to disappear, but he also had a good feeling that Naruto was punishing his brother sufficiently enough. Maybe he should just play the role of the kind big brother instead? His father hadn't had the chance to yell properly at Sasuke either… Nope, Sasuke would definitely need him to be his champion, lest he would never be left out alone again.

Itachi wasn't really averse to that idea either, but he knew from experience that it would only make Sasuke even more stubborn and wilful. Foolish little brother. Itachi smiled in the dark. His life would have been so boring if his brother hadn't been born.

God bless small miracles.

* * *

With his raven contently sprawled across his chest like a true lover, Naruto was tenderly playing with strands of Sasuke's hair. He had been napping himself for a while now, but Sasuke was still pretty much out of it. Honestly speaking, it made the blonde want to preen himself and brag, but he doubted anyone would listen except for Kakashi, and he was sure Sasuke would be highly displeased with him if he did that. Naruto was certain though that he was getting pretty good at reading his beloved, so a few tender gestures and strategically phrased sentences should placate the raven sufficiently enough to at least save him from castration.

Naruto had already checked every inch of Sasuke's upper body and had noticed with grim satisfaction that the seal had faded and seemed to be receding. It had, however, still been hot to the touch and he was dead certain it was still itching, if only faintly. Even with the seal no longer visible, Naruto suspected it would take some time for Sasuke's body to heal completely after the massive strain. Just the very thought of it made Naruto shudder and he felt a keening stab in the heart whenever he thought of what Sasuke had been through. He could only imagine what his precious one had experienced without his help…

Gently, so very gently, Naruto had massaged a soothing salve into Sasuke's sore skin, leaving the raven moaning in his sleep and teasing the blonde's libido relentlessly. However, Naruto had managed to reel himself in and satisfied himself by just revelling in the closeness they were sharing and how incredibly vulnerable and trusting Sasuke had looked when sprawled on his back with limbs everywhere in the small space and tempting lips slightly parted. His hands had been shaking with relish when he had rubbed all the weak spots on Sasuke's back that made his breath hitch in his sleep.

Now he was just watching the raven doze, carefully tucking away hair so it didn't tickle his face. How Naruto wished that Sasuke wished the same as him. This was pure heaven to the blonde. The peace and tranquillity and utter happiness he felt were the road to his divine sanctuary, and at the end of that very road was Sasuke, and Naruto wished he could one day be accepted with open arms. No life threatening situation forcing them to couple, no primal need to possess his Bonded, but just pure mutual love… and lust.

Naruto could have accepted a little lust in the mix.

The blonde would, however, admit defeat and accept rejection. While Sasuke seemed unwilling to be intimate, Naruto would still provide for him and do his best to keep him happy. His instincts screamed at him to keep his Bonded pleased and carefree. He would even allow Sasuke to move back home, but he would not tolerate it if his beloved tried to take another lover. His eyes narrowed and his hand tugged possessively around the black, silky strands with the mere thought of Sasuke in the embrace of a woman… or worse, another man. That would imply that Sasuke just didn't find him worthy and the thought stung more than it should have.

A deep groan slipped through Sasuke's lips as he fought the urge to wake up. Naruto eyed him sadly as onyx eyes blinked open. If his raven could be like this every night, he would never complain again. He dropped a loving kiss on the forehead just begging for attention, quickly before the delectable man beneath him had a chance to take in his surroundings and realise how Naruto was dying to defile him again and for no apparent reason this time. He was such a love struck fool!

When he thought Sasuke was becoming reasonably coherent, he gently pushed his Bonded off of him and got up to open the tent flaps.

"Why do you call yourselves assassins? You're a lot like us ninjas." Sasuke asked quietly as he stretched like a lazy cat, scrutinising him with one bleary eye.

"As an assassin, you can buy our loyalty. Only the money counts," he replied curtly. It was another part of the assassin's contract that he wasn't proud of.

"So if someone hired you to kill me, and I didn't have the money to buy you off, you mean you would hunt me down?" Sasuke asked with a pout, brows furrowed in thought and perhaps slight indignation.

"Yep, hunt you down and make you strip." Naruto replied dryly, but with such an open expression that spoke only of the truth. "You're a special case, Sasuke, and I can't kill a special case." Naruto assured him with a small pat on the head. Sasuke blinked, surprised by receiving such a friendly gesture considering their activities last night. Naruto was being friendly, maybe even bordering on exaggeration. It made him feel a little disappointed.

"I can prepare a meal for you." Naruto offered kindly.

"Thanks… Itachi-"

"Your brother is fine. He will be questioning this Kimimaro character while we're gone, and meet up with us today," the blonde placated quickly. "Come, let's get something in our stomachs." Naruto said lightly as he pushed away the tent flaps and crawled out, leaving Sasuke naked and vulnerable and confused. Naruto hadn't even kissed him since… last night. And he hadn't given him one of those many adoring looks that only spoke of love and affection. Sasuke had unconsciously gotten very used to those. He kind of missed them. And all the other loving gestures Naruto did when Sasuke wasn't really expecting it.

Why?

Then the implications washed over him in waves.

He was probably the first person to do the impossible: Betray his Bonded. But it was against Naruto's nature to deny him necessities like food and a warm bed, but he would no longer lavish him with his **loving** attention. He would only supply him with the necessities. And although Sasuke was dead certain Naruto still held feelings for him, Naruto had given up out of respect to Sasuke's desperate need for privacy. He couldn't help but feel childishly insulted, but he also understood that the drastic change was his fault alone. However, Sasuke no longer felt the urgent need for privacy.

He just wanted Naruto.

Feeling wistful all of a sudden, Sasuke was quick to follow Naruto out of the tent. He was surprised to notice he wasn't nearly as sore as he had been after… his first time, but Sasuke knew the blonde had been particularly careful last night. The marks of the broken seal didn't bother him either. Naruto must have done something to ease the itching. Feeling grateful, Sasuke quickly ran a hand through his hair in a vain attempt to flatten his bed head before he walked up to Naruto.

The blonde was already cutting up pieces of fruit and Sasuke could see cheese, bread and meat sticking up from the bag beside him. It wasn't his own bag, as he had never brought fruit, so Naruto must have come well prepared. Taking the offered food, Sasuke sat down with him and munched slowly, staring intently at Naruto from the periphery of his vision. The blonde was peeling oranges with an expression of great concentration and Sasuke felt the most insane urge to poke him, just to see what would happen.

They sat there in friendly silence, too friendly for Sasuke's liking, but the minutes ticked by quickly enough and time seemed to blur before his very eyes. Sasuke was content just sitting like this beside the blonde too. He idly entertained the thought of initiating physical contact, but rustling in the underbrush announced his brother's arrival, and that had to be the first time Sasuke had felt the need to curse at his brother. What lousy timing. Naruto had obviously heard him approach too, for he quickly started taking down the tent.

When his brother entered the clearing, he quickly assessed Sasuke where he sat on the ground. Naruto had packed the tent with lightning speed and was already done and moving to stand behind Sasuke. Itachi's eyes quickly darted to the blonde and his eyes narrowed threateningly. Sasuke was convinced he heard Naruto swallow behind him. He was obviously missing something here, again. His brother looked menacing and the way his eyes stayed on Naruto as the blonde shifted his weight from one foot to the other, was unnerving.

"I trust you are doing well," his brother bit out, not sounding sincere in the least.

Naruto nodded. "We are," he confirmed as he squatted down and turned his attention to Sasuke. "… You know, it sounds like-"

"He wants nothing more than to wring your neck and string you up. That sounds about right, yeah." Sasuke replied brightly, his shoulders shaking with suppressed laughter. Naruto stiffened. Sasuke hadn't noticed at first, but Itachi was uncomfortable with the unorthodox method used to rid him of his curse. He had never seen his brother so uneasy before. It lightened his mood and broke the tension in his body he hadn't even known existed.

"Let's leave." Itachi ordered, keeping a close eye on Naruto to ensure he made no awkward moves around Sasuke. Naruto quietly got the message and picked up the bag and went ahead. Sasuke was quick to follow him, and that left Itachi as the rear with a good view over the possible action going on in front of him. Of course, he realised it was a little too late for him to play chaperone, but he refused to witness his sweet baby brother doing outrageous things with another man… Like kissing. If the blonde tried to kiss Sasuke, Itachi had already warmed up enough so he could maim him.

"What did Kimimaro say?" Sasuke asked, looking over his shoulder at Itachi with unhidden curiosity and a thoughtful look.

"He said Orochimaru had been obsessed with Tsuyu since he could remember," he replied concisely. "Orochimaru knew Kushina. It's not wrong to assume he killed her, although his motive remains unknown, but-"

"Orochimaru didn't kill them." Naruto interrupted. "I did," he confessed tightly, halting so quickly that Sasuke walked right into him.

"Explain." Itachi demanded and Naruto turned to face them.

"You spoke to Sakura, didn't you?" he asked, directing his question at Sasuke.

The raven could only nod due to the tight constriction in his throat. He didn't believe Naruto for one second, but there was just something so anguished and forlorn in the blonde's expression, that he didn't dare to object. "Sakura said it was a lie," he countered, looking at Naruto imploringly.

"It wasn't a lie, only a half-truth." Naruto sighed and looked at Sasuke. "I wasn't treated very well in the village. No one wanted to associate with me, so I played alone outside of the village without my parents knowing. I never witnessed my parents' deaths. I snuck into the village after they were dead and was the one who found them. Since no one knew I had left the village without permission, people just assumed I had witnessed everything."

"That doesn't make you-"

"Damn it, Sasuke! I was the one who let him **in**!" Naruto took a deep breath to calm himself, watching with haunted eyes as Itachi moved stealthily to stand between him and Sasuke. "Kimimaro came to me once and asked me if I wanted revenge." Naruto muttered, staring hard at the ground in shame. "The only one who knows what I did is Tsunade," he added quietly.

Itachi didn't even bat an eyelash at the story and instead continued his interrogation. "Kimimaro? Why would he kill your parents?"

"Kimimaro said he also wanted revenge on the village, but he probably worked for Orochimaru already then. When I gave Kimimaro temporary access, I must have given Orochimaru access too. I have always been on the lookout for Kimimaro, but I suspect Orochimaru is the one behind everything. He had ties to my mother. My bet is that he found her and she must have upset him somehow. Maybe he even wanted her in on the revenge." Naruto's eyes turned oddly blank and Sasuke ached to go over to him. "I pieced it all together just yesterday," the blonde added with a snort as if he couldn't quite believe his ignorance.

"Naruto-" Sasuke began, but the blonde shut him up with just one look. The youngest Uchiha moved to place a comforting hand on his Bonded's shoulder, but Naruto brushed off his obvious intention of going to him by turning on his heel stoically. With the assassin's back turned to him, Sasuke's pleading eyes sought his brother. He felt the most insane urge to just do something, anything to cheer the blonde up, but Itachi just shook his head, passed Sasuke with a swift pat on the shoulder and followed the blonde in quiet.

Sasuke felt abandoned and that just made him feel stupid because he had never really been luckier. And he was going to prove himself once and for all. Not by running headfirst into a battle or throwing a tantrum if he didn't get his way. Not by avoiding his troubles or denying a man his right to love him or his will to care for him. Sasuke was going to grow up! Not by practicing until he dropped or engage in smooth conversation with his brother in hopes of besting him.

No, Sasuke was going to do something a lot more ambitious. Uchiha Sasuke was going to fall in love with Naruto and he was going to admit it too. And yes, he would be annoying and headstrong like he had always been, but he also wanted to be supportive and tender and more importantly, a good partner. Naruto didn't have many dreams, but Sasuke could tell the man desperately wanted affection. Affection only bestowed upon him by one person, a person he loved. The raven could tell because the blonde had treated him with utmost care ever since his arrival in hopes of his efforts being repaid.

When Sasuke had been a little boy, his biggest dream had been to save the world or do something that earned him great recognition for his, at that time, non-existing skills and wit. He realised now that while his dream had justifiably been that of a young child, he still felt selfish and ignorant. He felt ashamed of himself, even with his brain telling him from a logical point of view that he had nothing to be ashamed of. After all, it had been the dream of a small boy with a prodigy for a brother.

And it was while Sasuke was silently egging himself on and chiding himself for his foolish boyhood dreams, that it hit him with such clarity that he wondered how he had managed to ignore it for so long. "I love him," was the soft admission. Sasuke groaned. His words caught the attention of his brother. Itachi turned around and raised one quizzical eyebrow as to why Sasuke wasn't moving yet, and the raven pulled himself together with a forced smile and almost tripped in his haste to follow the idol of his past and the husband of his future.

* * *

Tsunade drummed her fingers impatiently against the surface of her desk.

She was thinking.

When Kakashi, Iruka and Shisui had torn the door of its hinges in their haste to see her yesterday, she had become so mad she had almost thrown them straight out again. However, with the new turn of events, Tsunade could no longer deny the severity of the situation or ignore the potential threat to Tsuyu. She had heard them out and asked them to give her time to think things through and then return in the morning. She had then spent the evening mapping out possible stratagems to capture Orochimaru.

Sakura had been present yesterday when the urgent party had arrived. That girl had always been too perceptive for her own good, and while Tsunade admired that about her, she didn't like the fact that Sakura had no qualms using that intelligence against her own boss. As soon as Kakashi and Shisui had managed to drag a hotly protesting Iruka out the door, Sakura had already ordered her to spill. She had immediately known that Tsunade was withholding information, and Sakura was adamantly waiting for her to share. She had done so, albeit reluctantly.

Now Tsunade was just waiting for everyone to show up. According to her estimations, she predicted Naruto and Itachi would return to Tsuyu any moment now with an embarrassed little Sasuke in tow. If she were going to make a move, she wanted to issue her orders just once. She might as well gather everyone and just get it over with. After all, Tsunade was a woman who hated repeating herself, especially when it concerned matters of life and death.

The whole farce was ridiculous.

Tsunade had known about Orochimaru for a while, but she hadn't known he was still lurking in the mountains. She had assumed he had moved on because she had never received any reports on him, but apparently he had been at work for some time now. In other words, she had been careless. But how could he have avoided detection? His appearance was… memorable to say the least, and just downright nasty. He would have been reported if he had been seen.

Sasuke couldn't possibly have been the first after so many years. But, Tsunade realised with a jolt, he could have others working for him. Orochimaru could have other workers who had been sighted, but never been linked to him. She never would have viewed him as the social type, but he was a smooth talker and she imagined his power would appeal to some people. If she recalled correctly… _'Naruto was contacted by a ninja when he had been younger, not long after Jiraiya's death…'_

Her door banged open and interrupted her chain of thoughts. Naruto didn't even greet her as he marched up and slammed his palms on her desk as he bent down so his eyes were level with hers. "Kimimaro was working for Orochimaru all along," he told her, face tight with barely restrained fury. She leaned sideways to look over his shoulder as the rest of the expected party calmly entered her office.

"Was?" she inquired, already guessing the answer.

"Dead." Itachi shot in with indifference.

'_No surprise there,'_ she thought glumly. Kimimaro had probably messed with Sasuke. _'Poor fool.'_

"There's a file missing from the archive," she began. The anticipation in the room rose as everyone snapped to attention. "The file with the locations of Tsuyu's protection seals, the order they will have to be taken down, and the summoning ritual needed to raise, change or remove the seals, is missing." She paused to take a good, assessing look at the small group present. "If he succeeds, Tsuyu will be highly susceptible to the unpredictable weather. In other words, Tsuyu may fall."

"Why? Why bother with such a small village high up in the mountains?" Sakura asked. Her voice was high-pitched with warring emotions and great confusion. She didn't particularly care for the village in its entirety, but it was her home and she had her family here. Sakura had become a medical assassin so she could earn the highest income possible in hopes of providing for her family. She could kill as easily as she could save a life, and she used the same knowledge to perform the two opposite acts with precision.

"It's not about Tsuyu." Tsunade corrected, looking decidedly uncomfortable. "I met Orochimaru and Jiraiya when I was young, approximately twenty years ago. I wasn't an inexperienced assassin, but I was young and loyal to a fault. The two of them had been ambushed and had taken refuge in the mountains. Jiraiya had been heavily injured and I suspected he wouldn't last the night. I didn't dare bring them to the village. It was strictly forbidden and people had been publicly flogged for it before." She paused to steel herself. "Jiraiya died during the night. The weather was horrible too, so I couldn't have fetched help even if I had wanted to. But Orochimaru blamed me." Tsunade explained, all in one breath. With a brave smile, she looked up at Sakura through apologetic eyes. "It was also this episode that set me on the medical path."

"Why didn't he just kill you?" Shisui asked in a deadpan tone.

"I left while he dug the grave."

"That's a lousy excuse. So his friend is killed in an ambush and he goes crazy on an entire village?" Sasuke stated, looking unimpressed and even a little bored.

"The guy's insane, Sasuke." Naruto reminded. "The fact that he has a motive at all is incredible," he pointed out dryly.

"Never mind that, what do we do now?" Iruka shot in, voicing the real problem at hand.

"You will ambush Orochimaru where the second seal is located." Tsunade ordered, leaving no room for argument. "I'm afraid the first seal has already come undone. You take with you whatever and whomever you believe is necessary. The rest of you must prepare the village for a possible evacuation. Report to me before you leave. I'll come with you. Dismissed."

Sasuke blinked as the rest of the group sidled out of the room. He turned to watch Naruto as the blonde quietly engaged Kakashi in a private conversation. Sasuke made a face. Naruto had never confided in him like that. Now that he thought about it, he and Naruto had never shared such a confidential intimacy before. It was another thing Sasuke had to rectify. He would have to communicate better with Naruto from now on. Actually, he could have prevented a lot of unnecessary trouble if he had just talked to the blonde properly. Sasuke choked back a groan of lament.

"Something wrong, Sasuke?" Shisui came up behind him and put an arm around his neck in a brotherly fashion.

"I think Naruto's really mad at me." The youngest Uchiha pouted. "What am I going to do?"

"I have two words for you: whipped cream." Shisui offered with a lecherous grin. "And if you feel up to it, add leather."

At Sasuke's doubtful expression, Shisui laughed. "Don't look at me like that. It would've worked on me."

"That speaks volumes, doesn't it?" Sasuke replied sourly. "Forget it, I'll just talk to Iruka."

"Right… So, are you okay now?" Shisui asked, keeping his voice light as he scrutinised him as discreetly as possible.

"Yeah, Naruto fixed it." Sasuke replied with a blush.

Shisui eyed him suspiciously and edged closer in his curiosity. "Did you, you know, did you do **it**?" He waggled his eyebrows suggestively and Sasuke jammed a hand in his face to push him away with a huff. Shisui took the tacit answer for what it was and laughed, slapping Sasuke's back as if the boy had just grown three inches and made him proud. Shisui ran to catch up with Itachi, knowing now why the oldest Uchiha had had such frazzled nerves since his return to Tsuyu, and linked arms with him like a real fan girl.

"Hey, Itachi, want to give it a go?" Shisui asked throatily, even running a sensuous finger up and down Itachi's arm like a true seductress.

"No," was the instant monotonous reply.

"Oh, come on, everyone else is doing it!" Shisui defended, looking quite disappointed. He wasn't deigned with a further reply.

Sasuke watched the interaction with mild interest. He knew Shisui liked to annoy everyone, but he seemed to have a special soft spot for Itachi. Sasuke also suspected his brother of indulging his best friend when they were in private. Their relationship had always been a little weird, but it was strong and had saved his ass more times than he cared to admit, so he wasn't going to ask questions.

As soon as everyone was in the streets, Kakashi suggested they head to his place, but his voice conveyed clearly enough that the topic was not up for discussion. Everyone just followed the silver-haired assassin as he led the way with Sasuke as the rear.

"Sasuke, can I talk to you for a second?" Sakura asked, turning to face him and leaving him no time to protest as she grabbed his arm and slowed down considerably, forcing him to fall behind. When the group rounded a corner and could no longer be seen, Sakura halted immediately and rounded on him. "You!" she shrieked. "You idiot!" Sasuke watched aghast when she took a surprisingly firm hold of his shoulders to give him a good shake. His neck would surely suffer from a whiplash if she didn't calm down soon.

"It's not that he won't let you go, it's that he can't. He can't! Why do you have to make him so miserable?" she continued ranting, breathing heavily as she let him go.

"I'm sorry." Sasuke apologised, surprised by how many times those words had left his lips the past few days. Frankly speaking, he had never been sorrier in his life, and that said a lot. "I'm going to fix it," he added meekly.

"You better," she threatened coolly before brushing past him to follow the group. Sasuke watched her go and let her get a solid head start before he dared to follow, worried she might come back to give him another lecture. He knew he had been horribly selfish, but in his defence, he had been scared and uncertain. And when he had realised how he had seriously fucked up, it had been too late to rethink old decisions. He didn't have a plan anymore, but he had a goal now: He was going to make Naruto happy.

They didn't catch up with the group until they reached Kakashi's house. Naruto was outside waiting for him, giving Sakura a cool look, silently telling her she had better not put any weird ideas or said anything damaging to his Bonded. She just smiled saccharinely as she passed him. Sasuke stopped in front of Naruto, nervously pulling on the orange jacket. He hadn't realised he was still wearing it, but now that the seal was gone, technically, Naruto could have it back now. While Sasuke found himself quite fond of the hideous garment, he reluctantly shrugged it off, handing it back to Naruto quietly.

Naruto smirked as he took it. "Yeah, I guess you don't need it anymore," he commented pointedly, making Sasuke flinch. Naruto sounded tired and bitter. Like everything was just another terrible happening in his unhappy life. Sasuke was struck with such a sudden revelation that he wondered how many brain cells he had lost in the process. Naruto didn't seriously believe that Sasuke returning his jacket was like the final stab in his rejection?

Suddenly feeling cold inside, Sasuke's hand shot out to grab hold of the garb with keen desperation. Naruto was stopped dead in his track mid-turn, looking over his shoulder at Sasuke questioningly. Sasuke met his gaze, trying to figure out how he was going to voice his concern and show his sincere regret. Naruto would never be honest with him if he asked him directly, and it would be weird if Sasuke suddenly came with a love declaration, so he would just have to beat around the bush for a while.

"I'm still cold. Do you really need the jacket?" he asked placidly, crossing his fingers behind his back, hoping to God that it didn't sound too suspicious. Naruto silently handed him back the jacket, eyebrows furrowed with suspicion. Sasuke would have been surprised if Naruto hadn't questioned his actions at all, considering the blonde **was** an assassin. But Naruto respected his wishes, or the desperate vibes asking for secrecy, and let the questions lie. Sasuke was very grateful. And with the orange jacket hanging over one arm, Sasuke was quick to reach Naruto at the entrance and inconspicuously looping the other arm with the blonde's, smiling brightly as he dragged one befuddled assassin into Kakashi's living room.

Sasuke donned the jacket in front of everyone, meeting the approving look from Sakura across the room. Apparently, he seemed to be getting the hang on reading Naruto because the blonde had already cheered up considerably. And from the corner of his eye, Sasuke could see the blonde eyeing him from time to time, checking to see if he were still wearing orange. And while orange wasn't a colour he would ever paint a room with, Sasuke had to admit that orange didn't look too bad on him.

"So this is what we have decided so far." Itachi begun. His sharp voice broke through the light atmosphere like a knife. "Iruka, Shisui and I will be the main force. Kakashi and Naruto will be our back up, aiding us as an ambush squad. If we fail, they will head to the location of the third seal. Tsunade and Sakura will work mainly as healers." Itachi turned to Sasuke. "You will help out here in the village," he stated, already crossing his arms in a defiant stance, preparing himself for the impending argument.

"Why can't I go?" Sasuke demanded, fisting his hands in a rare display of restraint.

Shisui weighed in before the discussion even had time to begin, or escalate, as it surely would have. "Only those who tops in bed are allowed to come with us," he explained gravely, keeping a straight face.

"Then why can she go?"

"Tsunade is the village chieftain. She is above the rules." Shisui said as if it was obvious.

"I meant Sakura!" Sasuke spit out morosely, pointing at the pink-haired lady for added emphasis.

"Oh, then I stand corrected." Shisui slapped his forehead as if he had just remembered. "Only those who tops in bed and virgins are allowed to come."

"I highly doubt she's a virgin." Sasuke deadpanned.

"So do I." Shisui admitted with a shrug. "But that's what she says, so indulge her."

"Screw virginity!" Sasuke protested tartly, decidedly ignoring Shisui's muttered "Amen to that" from somewhere behind him. "It's a shitty excuse and you know it!" The raven turned to Naruto for support and the blonde responded immediately. Naruto took Shisui by the arm and practically threw him out the door before he calmly waved for the others to follow him. After the door shut behind him, Naruto faced Sasuke with an austere expression.

"Look," he said, pausing to measure his words and the impact they would make. "You can't just bounce back from something like a blood seal. You're still injured," he finished, looking hopefully at Sasuke for understanding.

Sasuke just snorted. "Oh, come on, have a little faith."

"You're injured." The blonde insisted, sounding guilty.

"I'm your Bonded. Where you go, I go." Sasuke argued defiantly.

"You're **injured**." Naruto stressed, voice bordering on exasperation.

"I can help you." Sasuke continued his defence.

"You. Are. **Injured**." Naruto repeated slowly.

Okay, time to take out the big gun.

Taking a deep breath, the raven widened his eyes pleadingly in a way that he hoped would make Naruto cave in. "Pretty please, Naruto."

Naruto dragged a hand across his face, completely abandoning his previously unyielding attitude. "… Fine, you can come along," he snapped, obviously displeased with his decision as he slumped down on Kakashi's loveseat, one hand motioning awkward circles in the Uchiha's direction at random. Sasuke tilted his head and wondered whether Naruto was inviting him to sit beside him or not. He gave up deciphering Naruto's hand signal and just plopped down beside the blonde.

He sat quietly at the very end, watching the blonde as he was staring unseeingly at the ceiling. Sasuke wondered what he was thinking about. It seemed to bother the blonde a great deal because a moue of annoyance overcame him whenever he stumbled over a particularly displeasing thought. Watching him fascinated Sasuke as had never realised how expressive Naruto was. His face scrunched with determination as the raven tried to read all the expressions crossing Naruto's face. He was so immersed in his task that he jumped when Naruto groaned distressingly.

"I never asked him for revenge, you know," the blonde said hoarsely, looking pained as he cocked his head to look at Sasuke. "I just wanted him to bring me a playmate from the village," he clarified, sliding down in the loveseat, hoping it would make him invisible. The need to justify his actions to his Bonded was too great to ignore, and Sasuke was sitting so conveniently beside him with such a gentle presence and determined expression, that Naruto just had to tell him. "It made sense to me then. Since no one wanted to play with me, I could send Kimimaro in first so he could befriend someone and later introduce me to them."

Naruto covered his eyes with the back of his hand in shame. Sasuke gently pried his hand away so he could look at him. When he had finally re-established contact with Naruto's wonderfully blue eyes, he flashed the blonde a knowing smile from where he sat. His expression was open and trusting. And Naruto could only stare back as if in a trance, completely amazed by his Bonded's sudden openness and support and understanding.

"I expected nothing less," was the honest reply, radiating warmth and sincerity, and Naruto had never before been so inclined to just crawl into someone's arms and just **trust** this person with his everything. He swallowed thickly and allowed Sasuke to rearrange him so Naruto's head rested comfortably in his lap. Sasuke tenderly combed his fingers through blonde locks with great affection, and Naruto had to close his eyes, just to relish the moment properly.

Only hours from now, the two of them would join forces to take down a strong missing-nin from Konoha. They would have to be alert and watch over each other and others. It would be a risky fight and a battle of wits. Add a little bit of luck in there and maybe they would already be back by tomorrow evening, both a little wiser and more experienced. Naruto didn't even dare to think about the other option. That they might not succeed. Tsuyu could be destroyed and he would be homeless and perhaps without a mate to secretly cherish. Despite the dreary beginning of his life, he was so utterly content and blissfully pleased with the discovery of his Bonded, that even this village, for what it was worth, enchanted him.

Naruto chuckled and Sasuke's hand paused for a moment. "What is it?" he inquired, puzzled by Naruto's sudden amusement since he could locate no source for the blonde's mirth. Naruto froze, afraid his beloved would realise what he was doing, how affectionate he was being, and thus stop his ministrations in horror. He didn't want Sasuke to reject him again. He didn't want to give his raven the opportunity to hammer in the final nail in his proverbial coffin.

The jacket had been hard enough when the blonde had realised Sasuke no longer wanted it because he had no use for it. Of course, it had been a farfetched notion of his to think Sasuke enjoyed wearing the jacket because it was **his**, like an acknowledgement of possession and belonging. And then the blonde had been so painfully obvious with his hurt that Sasuke had noticed. Sasuke had noticed! And because Sasuke really was kind through and through, he had asked to get the jacket back and had even gone as far as to wear it again.

Naruto was touched, he really was, but he wasn't stupid.

"You love me," the blonde replied hastily, hoping to distract his raven with a small argument. When the expected denial was not forthcoming, Naruto cracked an eye open in silent concern. Sasuke met his gaze and offered him a quick smile. Then he carefully put his other hand over Naruto's eyes, clearly telling the blonde to keep his eyes closed, as he started humming a soft tune. Naruto couldn't recognise it, but it sounded a lot like a lullaby. When Sasuke was done, the silence became heavy and laden with untold emotions.

"I think… you might be right for once." Sasuke whispered, bending down to peck the blonde on the forehead before removing his hand so Naruto's startled eyes could seek him out. Naruto was speechless, but Sasuke didn't need words. He started humming again as his gaze sought the closest window. The weather was warm and welcoming, tempting him to come out and enjoy himself. But Sasuke had no need for anything else. He was sitting here sharing an even deeper intimacy with Naruto than Kakashi had. And his Bonded might have finally realised that Sasuke wasn't going anywhere. The youngest Uchiha felt as old and experienced as if he had lived a thousand years, but that wasn't the case at all.

Uchiha Sasuke had just learned how to love.

* * *

I commend you for reading this! It means you have stuck with me until the very end of this chapter. Thank you!

Now, there is a lesson to be learned from the following conversation…

P-Ys: I won't update if I don't get at least ten- _(Chibi Tenshi Sasuke appears on P-Ys' left shoulder)_

Chibi Tenshi Sasuke: No! You cannot threaten your readers to get reviews. It's called review whoring and it's wrong!

P-Ys: _(Blinks cutely)_ Why?

Chibi Tenshi Sasuke: It destroys your reputation as a (partially) serious writer, irritates your readers to no end, makes real authors mock your desperate need for recognition, and it hurts God to see a young soul tainted by such moral corruption.

P-Ys: _(Understanding dawns)_ Oh…

Chibi Tenshi Sasuke: What I suggest is that you give your readers some good news instead, as a positive reinforcement for making them review.

P-Ys: Okay… _(Totally racks wracks her brain for something juicy)_ The last chapter will be up on March 8 this year! _(Looks cautiously at Sasuke)_ How was that?

Chibi Tenshi Sasuke: _(Nods)_ Acceptable. What else you've got?

P-Ys: I'm working on a new multi-chaptered NaruSasu detective/yakuza story?

Chibi Tenshi Sasuke: _(Pats P-Ys' temple)_ Better. _(To the readers)_ Please review P-Ys' story. I might just give you my blessing…

Spelled out: This is a review whoring protest. It is against the rules on the adult fan fiction site for a reason: It's childish… And yes, there is a difference between asking and demanding. Don't even go there. Now, please listen to Sasuke! (See, this is how you ask nicely.) I can always sweet-talk him a little for blessings. (Yes, this is bribery, but that's allowed.)

P-Ys


	5. Imperative

_A big thanks to my reviewers: Michiru, Nightborn Dreamer, MoJoJessJo, Emerald Panther, Nora D, Snowraven17, tatertotts, Ellisama, Hot-Emo-Athiest, Azh Hikari, niceladysakura, Kakashilovinganimefreak. Your words really touched me. :)_

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto. I make no profit from this, unfortunately.

**Notes:** The summary has been changed to better suit the story! As I have mentioned before, the story was supposed to be a regular mating story, but it grew into so much more. The old summary only fit the first chapter and that has got to be bad PR, so I changed it.

And it's debatable whether or not I should change the genre from 'drama' to 'humour', because the showdown is rather ridiculous and certainly not dramatic. Admittedly, I had planned a grand finale and all that jazz, but I kind of cracked somewhere down the road, but I still find it a little amusing. I like it when things don't turn out as expected, because it never does.

This is the first draft, posted now because I promised it. In the upcoming weeks, I will be tweaking the entire story to better suit my vision. Yes, I did have a vision when I began this story. And trust me, it looked nothing like this.

Regardless, I thank you for reading!

'_Thoughts'_

"_Telepathic communication, sorta"_

**Emphasis on a word**

_The word can be found in the dictionary on the bottom of this page_

* * *

_**Chapter 5: Imperative (not to be avoided or evaded: necessary)**_

"I don't get it." Sasuke said, scratching his head thoughtfully as Naruto looked up from the bag he was packing. "If Orochimaru has been in the village before, why didn't he break into the archives then?"

"He could've been sidetracked or maybe he just didn't know about it," the blonde replied, going over his pockets and counting the bagged weapons in front of him. "It doesn't matter anyway, because we know what he's doing this time around. We'll get him."

"Yeah, and in the meantime we'll leave the village to be handled by people like Mizuki." Sasuke said with obvious displeasure and scepticism. Naruto smirked as he made a grab for his mate. The raven allowed himself to be caught, even going as far as relishing in the swift kiss dropped on his forehead. The blonde had handled Sasuke's little confession admirably by taking it all in stride. Sasuke had yet to be jumped, but the blonde had definitely become bolder in showering him with affectionate gestures. And he gave him such tender looks of utter affection coupled with such sparklingly happy, blue eyes that Sasuke's heart always skipped a beat whenever he caught Naruto looking.

"You know how loyal he is to the village, and I'm sure he will do his best for Tsuyu. Besides, he hasn't showed himself because he's been placed in house arrest until you leave." Sasuke was awarded another reassuring kiss on the forehead. "You won't be seeing him again." Naruto promised, allowing Sasuke to wiggle out of his arms so the raven could continue his own preparations. The Uchiha grumbled under his breath about homicidal psychopaths, much to the blonde's amusement, but let the subject rest.

While Sasuke could finally accept the attraction and fondness he felt toward Naruto, he still found it hard to show affection in public. Naruto was always like that, open and with nothing to hide. If the blonde loved someone, he wanted the person to know it at all times, just to remove all doubt. Sasuke wasn't like that. His affections ran just as deeply, but he had a hard time showing it to all and sundry. The blonde didn't take much offense from it, but it still irked him a little to think that Naruto might not think his feelings were sincere.

Then again, considering the rocky start, Sasuke could easily convince himself to think that Naruto should feel very grateful with what Sasuke was willing give. While he had no trouble believing their relationship would eventually get to where it was right now, no matter the circumstances, the raven still considered himself quite forgiving. However, the bond probably eased the bumps in their relationship a little through the unusual connection they shared, making it easier for them to communicate once they tried to open up to each other.

Besides, Naruto had been pretty convincing when he had surprised Sasuke that fateful evening. Sasuke had been curious and easy to manipulate, and while he had made many decisions at that time he had later come to question, the final outcome was something he didn't regret, anymore. They had overcome some great obstacles in the end, and Sasuke was pleased with how everything had turned out. The raven smiled to himself as he put the finishing touch on his own preparations.

Now that he was thinking about it, Sasuke really couldn't imagine how he could have gotten away even if he had tried. He probably would have underestimated the blonde in a fight, but he also doubted it would ever have come to that. Naruto's bold attitude and carefree way of just accepting things made Sasuke wonder how strong his defences had been to begin with. The Uchiha had grown up in a highly esteemed clan where he had been taught to live life carefully, suspiciously and judgingly. It was a way of survival in a dangerous world. A world he had never been allowed to venture out in on his own, mind you.

But what did he really have to set himself up against an assassin?

Squat.

"Just tell me one thing." Sasuke began gravely, causing Naruto to look up. "Did I ever stand a chance against you?"

Naruto's eyes twinkled with mischief as the blonde stalked over. "Well, I'm nothing if not persistent…" he admitted slyly, dropping an unsuspecting kiss on Sasuke's nose with a chuckle.

* * *

"Oh, look, it's the turtle doves." Shisui drawled as he spotted Naruto and Sasuke. Itachi had gracefully given them an hour to pack necessities and arm themselves before meeting up back at the headquarters. The prodigy in question barely acknowledged the statement with a short nod. Kakashi pushed himself away from the wall he was leaning on with a lazy foot, motioning for the group to enter the building now that they were all gathered.

"Sakura is already inside with Iruka." Kakashi informed, already answering the question on Sasuke's tongue.

"The little **dolphin** went ahead because he grew tired of listening to one of Tsuyu's most feared assassins nagging him incessantly in a vain attempt to make him drop the mission." Shisui added with a smirk.

"Why? Iruka's a good fighter." Sasuke pointed out with a frown.

"I know that, and you know that, and Iruka's boy toy certainly knows that, but Kakashi just isn't comfortable working with his bond mate in the field." Shisui elaborated in a singsong voice.

"He's-"

"An overprotective ass, probably bordering on the possessive." Shisui finished, shooting Kakashi a smug look as he breezed past him. Sasuke raised two inquisitive eyebrows, but one look from Naruto kept him quiet. He had learned early on to decipher that particular universal look because it just screamed at him to back off. And usually he could be daring enough to venture further in his curiosity, but Kakashi was a different matter entirely.

Kakashi could kill him.

The group quietly entered Tsunade's office, looking all solemn and tense. The chieftain greeted them with a wan smile. She was fully dressed in battle gears, a lot similar like Sakura who stood beside her. They didn't look armed, per se, but Sasuke knew they were good at hand-to-hand combat and excelled in the use of healing seals. Tsunade maybe more so than Sakura, but that was only to be expected as she was apprenticing the pink-haired woman.

Naruto had filled him in on their different fighting styles when they had been packing. It had been interesting to listen, because while Kakashi and Naruto were mentor and student, they were still nothing alike. Although they both carried smoke bombs, truth be told, Kakashi was the only one out of the two of them who could aim worth shit. Naruto had no trouble with shuriken, kunai or throwing knives, but something about the light weight of smoke bombs threw him completely off.

Kakashi was also a lot sneakier than Naruto, despite the fact that Naruto, with his hidden blades and throwing weapons, was the one who would benefit the most from pure stealth. Still, the teamwork always went like clockwork between them and they never failed to understand each other through rather vague exchanges of gestures and looks. Besides, their usual MO consisted of Naruto attacking from a distance while giving Kakashi the opportunity to close in on their target. It was a simple strategy, but it was effective.

"I can confirm that the first seal has been broken," Tsunade paused, "but the second seal is being torn down faster than we expected."

"How is that possible?" Shisui asked flatly. "You said it was strenuous work to perform the ritual. If he's already done with two, it sounds like child's-"

"Orochimaru is no ordinary man." Itachi interrupted. "His intelligence, strength and stamina are off the charts. He is probably moving on to the third seal as we speak."

"Either way, it's impossible for him to take down all four seals in the short span of mere days. It would destroy him. And since you have already killed his accomplice, he needs to preserve his strength. Orochimaru must know we're onto him." Tsunade raised turned left hand and showed her wrist to the other occupants in the room. On her wrist was a thin, inky black circle, divided neatly into four numbered areas. The first two areas were faint and pale, and the numbers were almost non-existent. However, the two remaining areas were still a strong contrast to her white skin.

"This seal shows me the state of Tsuyu's blood seals." Tsunade explained, pointing at the third area. "We have to hurry." She stood up and led the way as the group followed her out. Sakura was right on her heels, carrying two bags full of what Sasuke assumed were medical supplies. Apparently they were expecting an Apocalypse or something.

When Sasuke had seen his brother off on missions, the few times the team had bothered to take a medic with them, the medic-nin had only carried a small backpack with bandages and antiseptic. Because of a medic's proficiency in healing seals, bandages were mostly used on small cuts and sometimes as an added support for sprained limbs to ease the dull ache that could never quite be alleviated through seals alone. If a medic saw it necessary to bring extra supplies along, they usually expected bloodshed.

Healing seals were mainly used for injuries that usually required operations. Whether it was stitching, removal of hostile objects lodged too deep to be removed by normal means, or broken bones of varying kinds, a truly skilled medic should be able to perform sterile surgery in any terrain under most circumstances.

Sasuke really wondered what kind of injuries Sakura and Tsunade expected, as they now risked the chance of being slowed down by excess weight. He had great faith in his other team members and knew the injuries would be kept to a minimum with people like his brother and his lover in the field. They were experienced (and protective) enough to take down Orochimaru single-handedly if they had to. The raven was certain of this. And with his brother's illusions, they certainly had a slight edge in their favour.

They trekked after Tsunade who led them into the caves with purposeful steps. Naruto had quickly picked up torches as they had passed a storage room, but Sasuke had still lost all sense of navigation after the fifth turn with no sign of daylight. He kept close to Naruto, still unused to the oppressive dark, being careful not to set the blonde's locks on fire. Sasuke was a little nervous, facing his first serious mission. He didn't doubt himself. Just the unfamiliarity of everything threw his world a little off kilter.

Naruto, sensing Sasuke's brooding, discreetly put a comforting shoulder on his Bonded's shoulder, mindful to keep it out of Itachi's sight in case the oldest Uchiha should turn around. Sasuke smiled at him, grateful for the support as he tried to stay positive. While no one had really fought Orochimaru before or knew him particularly well, the man was not invincible. At least one of them should be able to come up with a way to breach the man's solid defence.

The light momentarily blinded Sasuke when they stepped out of the cave. Covering his face with a muffled groan, he turned filmy eyes on the people around him. Their expressions were grim and drawn, obviously preparing themselves mentally for the showdown ahead. Sasuke envied them their experience. Itachi and Shisui quickly scanned the terrain and immediately began discussing the best way to approach Orochimaru. The man probably expected an attack, so while an ambush was important, it would perhaps be more effective if the ambush were in plain sight.

Considering Orochimaru was a former Konoha ninja, he knew for certain about the gift of the Uchiha clan. It didn't make him resistant in any way, but he would probably be more wary of the two Uchiha members. All Itachi had to do was to get eye contact. He would only need it for a split second, but Orochimaru would never willingly give any of them the time of day. A plan had to be devised; hopefully a bloody brilliant one that would catch the ninja off guard.

The easiest way was to play on the size of their group.

When fighting, it was easier to read an opponent when keeping eye contact.

If they tried to overpower Orochimaru through sheer force, by just going at him in turns, it would probably force Orochimaru to fight on instinct, making him focus on his opponents' faces because it was an automatic reaction. However, it was also a risky plan. Orochimaru was an experienced fighter. They couldn't rule out the possibility that they were expected, and Orochimaru had already swarmed the surrounding area with traps of some kind. In that case, it would be impossible for them to attack him without thoroughly searching the area first. Orochimaru would notice them for sure.

A quick look at the seal on Tsunade's wrist told them that Orochimaru had begun tearing down the third seal as well. Never mind that it was impressive how he could manoeuvre to the exact locations so easily, but he was taking them down with such speed and ferocity, it was unnatural. He was already justifying his reputation as a dangerously skilled man, and it made Sasuke queasy. He didn't think his friends would be killed tonight, they were too powerful as a team for that, but the mere thought of someone becoming injured was unsettling.

"Let's split up like we planned." Itachi ordered, watching as the group immediately divided in two. Sakura walked over to Naruto and Kakashi while Tsunade stayed with Itachi. As Sasuke had originally been left behind, he now simply eyed his brother, patiently awaiting instructions.

"You stay with Naruto," his brother said, and Sasuke moved immediately. He faintly wondered how Kakashi was taking it, having Iruka out of his sight and knowing the brunette would soon face off against one of Konoha's infamous missing-nins. Judging by the way the silver-haired assassin had clenched his fists; he wasn't happy, but dealing with it admirably. Sasuke had to respect the man. He was pretty sure Itachi had paired him with Naruto to avoid distracting the blonde.

"If we move quickly, we can take him down while he's still working on the third seal. Itachi's team will attack from the side in thirty minutes, starting now." Shisui stopped to point at Kakashi. "Your team will ambush him from behind." His eyes narrowed in warning as they zeroed in on Sasuke, looking every bit the warrior he was. "Don't expect it to work," he finished grimly.

* * *

"We can't all attack at the same time." Kakashi instructed as he weaved his way through an area with surprisingly thick underbrush. "Itachi's team will go first. Depending on the reaction their attack gets, we will act accordingly. If they get in a good hit, we will move in for close-range attacks. Should they miss or if Orochimaru's able to block or even counterattack, we will have to cover for them with long-range weapons so they can draw back. Understood?" he asked as he levelled everyone with a pointed look. Kakashi only received three affirmative nods.

When the terrain opened up a little, Kakashi signalled for his team to be quiet. They were probably closing in on the designated location, and Sasuke flexed his fingers in a poor attempt to warm up and calm his nerves. While his awareness of the bond was still shaky, he could sometimes imagine he felt emotions that didn't feel like his own, like someone else was sharing their feelings with him. Sasuke also found it easier to read the blonde's expressions and body language. Right now he could easily tell the blonde was as alert as Kakashi, ready to defend at a moment's notice.

The two of them were probably so high-strung because Iruka and Sasuke had tagged along. It was something they were unused to, and it worried them. There was no point in worrying over Iruka, Sasuke knew as much. Itachi, Shisui and Iruka had worked together for years. They knew each other well and had long since learned how to cover each other's backs. As for Sasuke, despite Naruto's insistence on him being injured, he felt fine. He was a little tired maybe, but he guessed it was more a reaction to everything that had happened to him lately, than the aftermath of an actual injury.

There was little to no cover available to them as the terrain opened up even more. Sasuke guessed they were almost at the foot of the mountain because the land was barely slanting at all. At the very bottom of the mountain began a forest. It surprised him because he had kind of assumed that the seals would be best hidden in the caves, where it was much easier to get lost. He had obviously been wrong. Poking Naruto in the side with a curious finger, Sasuke bent forward and motioned for Naruto to meet him halfway.

"Where is the seal?" he whispered to Naruto, ignoring the chiding look from Kakashi.

"We are on the east side of Tsuyu. The third seal is the one furthest away from the village as it is not located in the mountains, but the forest beneath. It's not far from here, a kilometre tops." Naruto explained quietly. "The fourth seal can be found in a well-hidden cave, specifically designed to confuse strangers. As far as I know, only locals can take it down," he added with a shrug. The raven wondered if Naruto had sensed he was going to ask that next through the bond.

Reading between the lines, Sasuke interpreted the blonde's words as another reassurance. Even if they failed to stop him now, there was just no way Orochimaru would be able to find the last seal without a guide. The thought was soothing and encouraging. It meant Sasuke would be able to correct his wrongdoings and help the blonde and his team save Tsuyu. It made him relieved. Naruto smiled warmly at him as his eyes glowed knowingly, as if he were aware of what Sasuke was thinking.

Everyone but Sakura shrugged off the bag they were carrying and hid them behind a bush. It was their emergency supplies in case Orochimaru escaped and they would have to restock before giving chase. Hopefully it would never come to that. Sasuke bounced a little on the spot, trying to psyche himself up. He wasn't going to let himself or his team down. The youngest Uchiha was going to be a valuable asset by staying focused and keeping an eye out for everyone.

Especially Kakashi as the poor assassin looked distracted to the point of insanity.

As he was taking deep breaths, Sasuke suddenly realised why Naruto had allowed him to tag along. He hadn't even thought of it when he had been packing, but now it was obvious. Sasuke, while proficient with a sword, preferred to use his illusions and kunai when dealing with opponents. By being a long-range fighter, it would remove him from any immediate danger, and that was probably why Naruto was as calm about Sasuke's presence as he was.

Kakashi was doing worse. He was dealing, but even Sasuke could see the telltale strain around the man's eyes as he obviously aimed for a short fight. Iruka couldn't possibly know how much he affected the silver-haired assassin, or he wouldn't have put Kakashi through it. Sasuke knew Iruka was dangerous in his own right and perfectly capable of taking care of himself, but the brunette would never put a person through such emotional strain if he could help it. The youngest Uchiha noted to himself that he might have to talk to Iruka about the brunette's relationship for once.

"We're moving in." Kakashi commanded suddenly, wasting no time as he disappeared into the forest. "We have ten minutes to get into position," he announced over his shoulder, leaving the others to follow.

Sasuke went after him, trying to lay low and stay hidden behind the tree trunks. It probably looked ridiculous to the blonde watching him, but Sasuke did not make a sound as he manoeuvred the dense terrain. He could feel the blonde's watchful gaze penetrating his back, keeping him in sight, and Sasuke had to scoff at the Naruto's total lack of subtlety. The Uchiha could bloody well take care of himself in battle, and leave Naruto to worry about himself instead.

Kakashi motioned for them to split up in two, and Naruto immediately took Sasuke by the elbow and led him away from Kakashi and Sakura. Without words, the blonde positioned themselves up in the trees, pointing at Kakashi and Sakura who were still moving forward on the ground, not very far from them. Because the trees stood so close to each other, it was easy to move from branch to branch, and the two of them could easily keep up with Kakashi and Sakura, despite the slight disadvantage.

Naruto halted his progress when Sasuke could faintly see a clearing through the heavy branches. So this was their ambush spot? Sasuke tried to find Kakashi or Sakura, they had disappeared from his sight a while back, but the ground didn't show a trace of pink or silver hair. Okay, they were professional assassins all right. It took some skill to hide a pink mop of hair in a sea of green and brown. Sasuke was grudgingly impressed. He never expected the pink loudmouth to blend in so **easily**.

Naruto caught his attention by taking his arm. He held a finger over his lips before he pointed meaningfully at the clearing. Right, they were moving in for real this time. Sasuke braced himself as he followed the blonde. Naruto found a sufficient tree and they perched themselves approximately two metres above the ground. Sasuke didn't know how visible he was from the clearing, but he could at least see absolutely everything going on down there.

Orochimaru was kneeling in front of a tree with his back turned to them. He was repeating a mantra, but Sasuke couldn't make out the words. He seriously doubted he would have understood it anyway. Beside Orochimaru lay a bloodied knife, but the raven couldn't tell where it had been used. The tree looked very normal to him. While Sasuke was no expert with seals, he was pretty sure a seal had been used to hide the seal. Seals weren't all that much to look at, but they usually left a mark of some kind whenever they were in use.

The tree looked spotless from his position.

Sasuke tried to look for his brother, but he could instead testify to his brother's ability to stay camouflaged. Squinting his eyes, Sasuke hoped Naruto knew what signal they were waiting for, if that was what they were doing. He wasn't quite sure. Sasuke would admit it. He was handling this like a true amateur. His strategy would be to wait for his brother's team to attack, see what Naruto did and wing it from there. Yeah, it wasn't brilliant, but it would ensure he didn't fuck up again.

Itachi had said his team would attack in thirty minutes. Sasuke guessed the time was soon up and carefully put a hand on his utility belt. He would be attacking from a distance either way, so he might as well prepare himself accordingly. After all, he was quick and could easily cover all his teammates on his own, should it become necessary. Sasuke hoped Naruto knew this too, and that was the reason he had been allowed to go on the mission, despite the blonde's previous protests.

Focusing so intently on Orochimaru's hunched form, Sasuke almost fell off his branch in surprise when Itachi suddenly shot into the clearing, katana poised to strike, as Iruka flanked him. Sasuke couldn't even hear him move. It was fascinating to watch. Itachi was an excellent swordsman and Iruka was good at martial arts. Shisui usually kept their opponents occupied by using his speed to throw deadly aimed shuriken at them. He used it as a diversion to give his teammates the opportunity to draw closer.

If all else failed, Shisui would create explosive seals with lightning speed. It was one of the many offensive seals Shisui had in his arsenal. The basic ones caused temporary paralysis, poisoning or slowed down mobility. The more dangerous ones created explosions, released energy rounds, blocked an opponent's seal usage, or created temporary clones. The really powerful ones did pretty much the same as the dangerous ones, except on a much larger scale.

Shisui had also specialised in blood seals, but he didn't utilise his knowledge in battle.

A rain of shuriken flew straight past Itachi; the man didn't even bat an eyelash, and headed for Orochimaru. For a split second, Sasuke thought it could actually work, but the kneeling man quickly jumped up and performed a backflip. Sasuke was a little awestruck by the display, considering the man's age. He had to be over fifty years old, and Sasuke had heard of well-trained ninjas in their forties who had been retired, all because their limbs had failed them.

The raven felt the air shift as Naruto jumped to the ground. While the blonde was on the prowl, Sasuke threw his own kunai, sending them flying between his brother and Orochimaru, hoping to give Itachi time to take a defensive stance. Naruto calmly stepped up beside Iruka, flexing his fingers tryingly, probably feeling for the triggers that released his hidden blades. In silent agreement, Shisui and Sasuke stayed put, ready to attack from a distance.

The raven was sure Kakashi was waiting for the right moment to strike from the shadows. He was another swordfighter, but it would be hard to fight in a clearing with two sword-wielders present. It was much easier to keep one as back up. Besides, Sasuke was sure Kakashi preferred to stay on the sidelines where he could keep an inconspicuous eye on Iruka. He wasn't going to call the man on it, because he found himself watching Naruto intently as well.

Orochimaru eyed the men with an arrogant air around himself, but he cautiously avoided any eye contact with Itachi.

Now when Orochimaru had moved, Sasuke could see the bottom of the tree trunk. It was smeared in blood and covered in black swirls, much like his neck had in the beginning. It looked nothing like when Shisui had taken him out to show him how to break down seals back in Konoha… Then it struck him. Orochimaru hadn't even been performing the ritual. In order to take down the seals of Tsuyu, Orochimaru had used his infamous blood seal to remove a blood seal, just like he had suppressed Sasuke's bond to Naruto with a bond of his own.

It certainly explained how Orochimaru had been able to work against the clock on the first three seals, but the fourth seal would be different because it was the very foundation of Tsuyu's protection. Naruto had explained it to him once, offhandedly. He had said only a local could remove the fourth seal, and while the ritual could be performed on all four seals at the same time, it could only be taken down in the right order. And no matter how much blood Orochimaru stole from Sasuke through the bond, he could hardly be considered a local.

Sasuke's eyes followed the familiar black pattern as it disappeared behind the tree trunk. Curious, Sasuke wondered how far the seal stretched and if it was hot to the touch, like his had been. Orochimaru's seal was the only thing clearly visible from this distance, but Sasuke imagined he could see the faint outline of something else, something indefinable, but apparently huge. It was the obvious remains of what used to be Tsuyu's third protection seal, but Sasuke couldn't tell what it had looked like.

It was pure coincidence that Sasuke noticed another seal in a tree trunk next to Iruka. He couldn't recognise it, but from what he could see, it looked like one of the offensive kind. What he had to do now was to find out whether the seal belonged to Shisui or not. If it happened to be a trap set out by the Uchiha, Sasuke couldn't very well shout out from where he was sitting, alerting Orochimaru in the process. He would have to move down to investigate, and hopefully bump into Shisui along the way.

He quickly assessed the situation below, deeming it safe to leave his post in favour of securing the area. The battle hadn't even started yet, both sides caught in a stalemate because no one wanted to make the first move. Chances were, the first move could easily be the last. Sasuke frowned a little as he climbed down the tree. It seemed like Orochimaru knew how Itachi, Shisui and Iruka cooperated. If an opponent went for one of them, it was easy for the two others to read, not only each other's movements, but also that of the opponent. By one of them being in motion, it made the battle flow and then it was easy for them to adapt to the rhythm of the fight.

Sasuke backed away a little to keep out of sight before he snuck over to the side where Itachi had appeared from, assuming Shisui or Tsunade were still there. Inspecting more of the tree trunks as he went, Sasuke stumbled across another seal, looking suspiciously like the one he had seen before. Bending forward curiously, his eyes narrowed in concentration as he tried to put to use what Shisui had taught him. While it was definitively an advanced offensive seal, defensive seals were usually various versions of circles, Sasuke did not recognise the intricate, tribal design that reminded him of a snake.

While trying to stay attentive to any sound from the clearing, Sasuke was relieved when he spotted a mop of hair as dark as his own. When he turned around the tree, he found Shisui already deeply engrossed in his inspection of one of the mystery seals. Sasuke stood a little awkwardly, unsure what he was supposed to do now. Shisui's mouth tilted at the corners, and the raven realised his insecurity was being laughed at. Pouting ever so slightly, but never admitting it, Sasuke moved up behind Shisui to watch him work.

"Do you recognise it? I think the seals are surrounding the entire clearing." Sasuke whispered, peering eagerly as Shisui poked the edges of the seal.

"It's an explosive of some kind, but there's something weird with it. I can't figure out what triggers it." Shisui frowned. "It looks a lot like a blood seal, but it's not made with blood. It's just… advanced," was the slightly miffed reply.

"Do you know how to remove it?"

"We could try humping it." The older man suggested, looking disturbingly serious. At Sasuke's incredulous look, he shrugged. "It worked with you," he elaborated slyly, and Sasuke punched his arm.

"Focus," the raven warned.

"Right. Take my kunai and embed them in the trees with seals on. With a seal of this calibre, you should find at least seven more of these." Shisui ordered, pointing at his own bag hanging from a branch above their heads. Sasuke promptly moved to obey. However, he froze in his tracks as he remembered his own responsibilities, and turned on his heel to remind Shisui.

"Sakura has been on it since you left your spot. They've begun fighting now." Shisui said, beating him to it with a casual smile.

"Thanks?" Sasuke tried, wondering if the man was reprimanding him somewhere in that sentence.

"Wait." Shisui called, abruptly taking Sasuke's hand and putting an index finger to his palm. A tiny square with a sideways funnel (1) appeared immediately. "It's a communication seal. It's linked to Itachi, Iruka and me. It takes some time getting used to, so try not to broadcast every thought going through that little head of yours," he informed sweetly, as if Sasuke broadcasting his darkest secrets in the middle of a fight for their lives, was everything he ever wanted.

Sasuke ignored him and instead searched the trees. He assumed all the seals were at the same height off the ground, and began walking around tree trunk after tree trunk. By the time he had covered about three quarters of the periphery of the clearing, Sasuke had found six seals, including the one he had seen from the tree branch. If Shisui was working on the seventh seal, the eighth seal could be either higher or lower than the other seals, presuming it functioned like a foundation.

It was just a hunch that struck him out of the blue, but Sasuke climbed the closest tree and made his way over the branches, aiming for the tree Orochimaru had been kneeling in front of. On his way there, he got a good overview on the situation, and he realised Orochimaru was still adamantly refusing to look anyone in the eyes. Smart man. Itachi was too dangerous to be disregarded, and Orochimaru had obviously come to the same conclusion. The man wasn't seriously injured, but he did have some scrapes from where Itachi had grazed him, a split lip from when Iruka had thrown a punch.

Sasuke was glad he wasn't the one fighting. His eyes had become as wide as saucers when the man had pulled snakes from his hand out of thin air, narrowly missing Iruka's head. When one snake had moved after the brunette, Kakashi had come running through the clearing, sword at hand, with such a dark expression on his face that stopped Sasuke dead in his tracks. And he wasn't even on the receiving end of the silver-haired man's anger! Even Iruka had been a little baffled by the primitive, caveman Kakashi.

Sasuke knew because he had heard the brunette say: _"holy shit,"_ through the communication seal.

When his brother's clear voice had first penetrated Sasuke's mind, ordering Iruka to give him some room for a _kata_, he had almost fallen over himself. Now he had gotten used to the voices of his brother's team entering his head, and could easily ignore it. He had been constantly reminded though, to put a damper on his admiration, because his thoughts were going unfiltered and unchecked from him to them. In other words, he was broadcasting, to Shisui's great amusement.

Anyway, Sasuke was on a mission now. He wasn't going to fail. Upon reaching his destination, Sasuke craned his neck as he tried to find anything unusual. He was pretty sure he could see something black there, higher up amongst the branches. Wasting no time, the raven quickly ascended to the necessary height and mentally patted himself on the back for his discovery, a satisfaction that he also broadcasted to the entire team, if Shisui's chuckle was anything to go by. Blushing a little, Sasuke was thankful no one could see him from where he sat, despite the orange jacket he was donning.

"_Sasuke, have you found the last seal?"_ Shisui's inquiry drifted through his head, repeating itself like an echo.

"_Yeah, I'm in the same tree Orochimaru was praying in front. There's a seal here placed higher than the rest."_ Sasuke replied, or at least he hoped did. Recalling how Shisui had so professionally traced the other seal during his inspection, Sasuke followed the seal with a gentle fingertip. He was pleased to realise it was warm to the touch, or maybe the temperature was going up because of his touch? Sasuke scrunched his nose. Shisui had never had the time to show him the workings of the more advanced seals yet.

"_Look, I think the seals down here are decoys. I've already removed six of them, but it doesn't seem to have made any difference. You must've found the real deal. I'm coming to you, so don't move and __**don't**__ touch anything."_ Shisui insisted, and Sasuke stopped with one delicate finger frozen at the very centre of the seal. He swallowed hard. It was kind of too late for that now. Bending forward with squinting eyes, Sasuke wondered if he could see any changes in the inky pattern in front of him. He didn't really know if seals changed or made any indication that they were activated.

With his own two eyes, Sasuke witnessed as the seal shrunk itself, until it had disappeared completely. Blinking, he got a little desperate when he realised he didn't know where it went. Looking around himself in wonder, Sasuke did his best to use his eagle eyes to relocate the seal, if it had actually moved and not just… vanished. Something told him Shisui wouldn't be too pleased with that. _"Shisui!"_ He would have to tell him that he didn't have to waste time in an empty tree.

"_Sasuke, get the __**fuck**__ down! That was the trigger. You activated the trigger!"_ Shisui's panicked shout made Sasuke dizzy, but he reacted on pure instinct to the unrestrained urgency in the man's voice. He was halfway down when a large rumble started shaking the branch he was balancing on, and in the next second he was flying on a wave of sheer power. His ears were ringing from the explosion, and he faintly registered a smaller explosion, that had still detonated with a big bang, which had most likely been the seal Shisui hadn't bothered removing.

He hit something surprisingly soft, all things considered, and released a surprised 'oomph' when his journey finally came to a halt. While Sasuke was a little unclear in the head maybe, even he recognised the slit eyes staring down at him in blatant disbelief. The raven reacted on pure instinct by activating his gift; afraid that Orochimaru was going to sic his snakes on him if he didn't do **something**. And illusions just happened to be his go-to response when he felt threatened.

Sasuke didn't know what he was projecting to Orochimaru, only that he ensured the pale man never realised he was currently plastered over him, having just used his body as a cushion in a vain attempt to avoid a blast. If he thought about it too much, it was kind of cool how he had been used as a live cannon ball. Sasuke thought he might be conveying something like solitude and ignorance, because that's at least what Orochimaru seemed to be experiencing. His face was placid and the youngest Uchiha was a little astonished that he had managed to produce such a strong illusion. Apparently, no one could be moving or else Orochimaru would have easily broken Sasuke's enchantment.

A low growl pierced through Sasuke's second session of self-praise as he was gently lifted up and away from the haunted eyes staring at him, but not really seeing him. He realised Naruto had already descended upon Orochimaru by severing important tendons while Shisui was working on a paralysis seal, just for the hell of it. His brother was holding him firmly; his expression tight, and Sasuke could glimpse the warring emotions in his brother's eyes.

Itachi was relieved he was alive, angered that he had put himself in such a situation in the first place, but also a tiny bit proud of his brother ambushing a dangerous missing-nin so skilfully, or luckily. Sasuke smirked as he tried to assess his own damage. He was bleeding somewhere, Itachi's fingers were covered in red, but it couldn't be anything serious because Sasuke didn't feel too shabby. It was probably scratches from the fall and a slightly burnt back from the explosion. And he had possibly bruised a rib or two in the landing, as it was hard for him to take deep breaths.

With a remarkable effort, Sasuke lifted his head and tried to look around and see if the forest was on fire. While he couldn't see anything, he had kind of expected that much since his entire world had gone 'boom'. Sniffing like a dog, he couldn't smell anything suspicious, and surely the others would have noticed by now if they were in the process of being grilled. Itachi probably would have moved faster too, if they happened to be in danger.

All in all, Sasuke felt **fine**. Itachi put him down gingerly on the opposite side of the clearing from where Orochimaru was. He made sure he placed himself between Sasuke and any potential danger, leaving Sasuke to watch the situation with a heavy head, peeking between Itachi's legs for any signs of a commotion. He relaxed a little when nothing seemed forthcoming. Without any warning, Tsunade dropped down beside him and started working on him in complete silence. Sakura stood a little on the sideline, keeping pressure on a bleeding shoulder. _'A splinter of a branch must've hit her,'_ Sasuke theorised drowsily. She was already in the process of healing herself.

"_Maybe I'll heal faster if we do it again?"_ Sasuke wondered idly to himself as he zeroed in on Naruto a little off to the right of Itachi's legs.

"That's it!" Itachi announced with surprising volume. "The comm. seal is coming off right now," he declared, almost drowning out Iruka's dryly spoken: "I second that". Itachi opened his palm and put a finger on the seal like Shisui had done. Sasuke couldn't see what his brother was doing, but he thought he could see a flash of mirth cross Shisui's stern face. Oh, crap! Had he broadcasted that as well? Sasuke tried quite fervently, with ears as red as tomatoes, to avoid his brother's gaze and instead opted to focus on his blonde mate.

The raven could hear Naruto cursing Orochimaru as the illusion had finally worn off and the man was once again coherent. The blonde held a blade to his throat as Itachi and Kakashi stood on either side of the prisoner, swords ready in case he should move. Kakashi's fingers were twitching around the hilt, so it was obvious he still hadn't forgiven Orochimaru for trying to behead his Bonded. Frankly speaking, Sasuke kind of understood him.

"Are you mad at me, Naruto? For killing your father?" Orochimaru wheezed spitefully, cautiously eyeing the blade at his throat. Sasuke snorted. It was a classical stalling tactic. "I never touched your mother, you know. He saw me talking to her, and he just snapped. I heard her screaming when I was heading for the archives," the man continued with a hiss. Naruto stiffened, looking determined as he deliberately nicked the skin on Orochimaru's throat. "I went to get you, when your father came. Him I killed."

"Who killed my mother then?" Naruto bit out through gritted teeth.

"He's been in my grasp ever since I found him beside your mother's corpse. Laughing, I might add." Orochimaru lowered his voice, forcing Naruto to bend closer. "The idiot thought he had saved Tsuyu from an outside threat. Can you imagine the fun I've had by bending his will to mine?" Naruto looked at the sickeningly pleased smile, and it became apparent to everyone that the pale man was obviously riding a wave of some sadistic derision. Completely delusional. "By involving himself then, he is now the sole reason why Tsuyu finally faces destruction." Orochimaru laughed hoarsely, head lolling from one side to the other in his amusement.

"Who. Is. It?" Naruto bit out.

"Can't you guess?"

"Just tell me."

"Mizuki. He's been a good servant." Orochimaru replied, causing the blonde to bristle. "But I have drained him too much these past few days," he added with mock sadness. As if he actually gave a damn.

"Where is Mizuki now?"

"A place where only he can be…"

Naruto froze, staring wide-eyed at the missing-nin as he processed the news. Kakashi seemed to read his mind as he took Tsunade's wrist in his hands to inspect the seal.

The seal was gone.

Sasuke didn't know what that meant. He had assumed that should Orochimaru succeed in taking down the four seals, the seal would be completely faded. However, judging by the look on Tsunade's face, this was not the case. If the seal on Tsunade's wrist was connected to the blood seals around Tsuyu, it kind of made sense that it would disappear if the other seals were taken down. There would be no source for the seal to draw energy from anymore.

And Mizuki's betrayal did explain how Orochimaru had been able to take down the seals so quickly and how he had gained access to the fourth seal, but it was still hard to wrap their minds around it. Granted, Sasuke had never seen Mizuki's body and so he didn't know if the man had been covered in one of Orochimaru's blood seals, but the mere thought of Orochimaru always having access to Tsuyu made his body cold. On the flip side, it also made Sasuke feel a little better, as if it always had been out of his hands.

The youngest Uchiha barely registered that Naruto slit Orochimaru's throat.

Sakura choked back a sob as she turned away, still clutching her wounded shoulder. Tsunade looked a little shocked maybe, but not as devastated as Sasuke would have expected. On the other hand, it wasn't as if Tsuyu wasn't still standing, it's just that it was defenceless. Not that that wasn't a nifty situation to be in. It was bad, but not unsalvageable. Maybe Tsunade even knew how to redo the seals before the next storm. Sasuke wouldn't be surprised if she did.

"The weather looks good." Iruka began, cautiously gauging the reaction as he spoke. "If we hurry, we can probably get short-term seals up-"

"We can't rebuild the original blood seals. They were never meant to be broken in the first place." Tsunade cut in sharply, causing Iruka to back off immediately. "The founders used months to nurture the seals to perfection. We don't have the time to even try."

"So Tsuyu was always supposed to be a temporary home?" Sasuke voiced his thought carefully from where he lay on the ground, testing his limbs and his breathing to see how he fared.

"It was a permanent home for us." Sakura replied dejectedly, and the raven felt bad for even saying it. Of course this would be upsetting to them, especially for Sakura who had been born and raised in the village under happy circumstances. However, remembering the pink-haired woman's earlier words, Sasuke couldn't help but think that relocating might not be so bad. He was not stupid enough to say that out loud though. He knew from experience that Sakura was scary when she got mad.

"We need to get back." Kakashi ordered, looking up at the sky as if he could predict the weather. The silver-haired assassin ran ahead, quickly followed by an obviously concerned Iruka. They disappeared one by one, hurrying back to the village. Sasuke and Naruto stayed behind. Well, Sasuke because he didn't really have much of a choice. He was still trying to figure out what Tsunade had done to him. She had obviously put some kind of seal on his back to stop the bleeding, and disinfected any wounds before she had wrapped a tight bandage around his chest to give some relief to his aching ribs and a cover for his back. At least she had prevented him from getting an infection, and since all healing seals numbed the pain to some extent, a painkiller. But his bruises had been left to disappear on their own accord.

Hissing a little, Sasuke was able to sit up slowly. Naruto immediately moved to help him, supporting him as Sasuke grabbed the blonde's shoulders to keep upright and steady. Putting careful pressure on his ribs, Sasuke could conclude that his ribs weren't broken and didn't throb as badly as before. Tsunade had done a good job. Healing seals couldn't accelerate the healing process, but instead worked as effective bandages for keeping wounds clean and stitched, bones together or organs functioning.

The blonde was quiet, looking a tiny bit forlorn, but maybe a little relieved too. Sasuke sympathised. The entire thing had been rather anti-climatic. Nothing around them had indicated that the final seal had fallen, and Sasuke had kind of wanted an explosion or something, just to remove all doubt. The Uchiha hadn't thought about what he wanted after the mission. Now it was obvious he could go home with his brother, and Naruto would most likely come with them. It made him happy, which made him feel even worse because he knew that Naruto was mourning in his own way, despite the crappy treatment he had received.

"How do you feel?" he asked gently, not really expecting a reply.

"I'd rather know how you feel," the blonde countered easily, appearing more concerned with Sasuke's health than the extinction of his village.

"I will tell you, if you tell me first?" Sasuke offered with a fleeting smile, resting his head on Naruto's chest, feeling surprisingly content, despite the disastrous outcome.

"Torn," was the honest reply, and Sasuke nuzzled the blonde's throat affectionately, encouraging him to continue. "I'm sad for the others. But personally, I'm just…" Naruto trailed off.

"Grateful?" Sasuke supplied helpfully, and Naruto nodded guiltily. "Look, I'll strike a deal with you. It's only fair," the raven began, perking up a little as he tenderly palmed Naruto's cheek. "Remember the night you claimed me and brought me to Tsuyu, like I had no choice?" Technically, he hadn't had a choice either, but Naruto deemed it unwise to point it out. "This time you can come with me to Konoha, and let me take care of you for once." Sasuke proposed, looking excited at the prospect.

Naruto blinked owlishly. It sounded suspiciously like a marriage proposal to him. Not that he had anything against that, but it had just taken him by surprise. Konoha had always been Sasuke's sanctuary. It was the place he had missed so dearly while he had been in Tsuyu, perhaps because his entire childhood was etched into the very streets of his home village. But Naruto wanted to see the place, experience it for himself, certain he would love it just because Sasuke did.

That was why he had been in Konoha the night he had met Sasuke. His mother had talked fondly about her village, and Naruto had been curious to see if it lived up to his glorified expectations. However, he hadn't even been able to step one foot into the village, as a delectable raven had detained him on the way. Naruto grinned fondly at the memory. He hadn't left the village empty-handed though, leaving with a prize and being a few feelings richer. And he had also been completely whipped to boot.

"I guess that sounds acceptable." Naruto replied huskily.

"Great, I'll take very good care of you!" the raven promised, throwing himself vigorously around the blonde's neck.

Naruto groaned. He was reading a lot more into that statement than what was strictly healthy, and he was dead certain his little, unsuspecting bond mate had no idea what he did to him. Not like it mattered, though. Naruto would eventually teach him how everything could sound lecherous in his ears. And Sasuke, as brilliant as he was, would soon enough figure out how he could use that knowledge to wrap Naruto even tighter around his little finger.

The blonde was really looking forward to that.

* * *

When Naruto and Sasuke entered the village, while Sasuke had seen the village bustling around like that before, he had never seen more defeated expressions gathered in one place. Shikamaru and Ino were busy loading small wooden containers up on a wheelbarrow for an older lady. Shino was diligently putting hens into cages for another woman two houses down. People were emptying their homes, almost turning it upside down in their haste to pack, and quietly helped each other to make things go quicker.

Sasuke couldn't help but think how convenient Naruto's small cottage was right now. It would be easy to pack all the necessities in one crate and be done with it. No one could afford to bring along furniture, and the raven could see how some yearned to stow away a bed or a chair before they left. Chances they would be standing for much longer were small, but Sasuke did consider the possibility that a small team could come back later and try to salvage some things.

The main priority now was to move the people to safety before the next storm hit.

As they passed Mizuki's apothecary, Sasuke couldn't help but take a quick peek inside. People in battle gear, probably assassins, were bottling the herbs on the shelves in jars and storing papers in a small box on the counter. They were obviously trying to preserve the store, but didn't appear to bother with Mizuki's personal belongings. That was probably Mizuki's own responsibility anyway, wherever he was. Tsunade had probably sent someone to fetch him, if he were even alive.

In the end, they made their way through deserted corridors and entered Tsunade's open office. The woman was busy filing away papers, probably containing classified information. Sasuke realised they would have to burn any reports concerning assassination missions. It wouldn't do well if anyone from the outside got their hands on them. After all, Sasuke knew for a fact that professionals, with no ties to any village, had assassinated several ninjas from Konoha. If the killers could suddenly be named, many would seek their revenge.

It churned in his gut to know that Naruto was one of them.

"Sasuke, please take those files outside and burn them. Don't strain yourself." Tsunade asked, pointing at a small stockpile of papers by the door. "Naruto, a word please," she requested, and the blonde nodded as Sasuke obediently took the accumulated papers and left the room. His body barely protested when he walked. But it felt kind of nice to have a physical pain he could actually focus on, instead of ending up assessing his mental state.

If Sasuke thought he had been guilty before, it was nothing compared to how he was feeling now. He didn't know where to hide. He felt so bad for starting everything, but he had a hard time feeling any more than the polite, customary sorrow on behalf of the now homeless villagers. Emotionally he had hit an all-time low, where his ego was suffering greatly, but it had nothing to do with Tsuyu. The only positive he could point out, was that now he wouldn't have to feel so guilty for taking Naruto with him to Konoha.

As soon as he stepped outside, he went behind the building and wasted no time in setting the papers alight. He watched it burn with a frown, wondering if they were doing the right thing by moving. Despite all the effort used on saving the village, Sasuke was surprised by the easy acceptance of defeat. No ranting and raving or pointing fingers or throwing wild accusations, just a bottomless sadness and a quiet sense of loss. And he had been the one to set the proverbial ball in motion… Crap.

"I've already sent Shisui to Konoha. He's going to prepare our village so the people of Tsuyu can seek temporary refuge there." Itachi's voice cut through Sasuke's little guilt trip with a strict undertone, as if he knew exactly what his brother was doing to himself. "Some of the shop owners might settle in Tanzaku Gai and continue their business there. It's easier since they don't need a citizenship to take on permanent jobs," he added in a more gentle tone.

"Mizuki?" Sasuke inquired, smoothly diverting the subject.

"Dead. Never got to question him, but we know he took down the fourth seal. Found him on the spot."

"Oh."

"Look, Naruto went out on an errand, so why don't you go to Sakura and help her pack." Itachi suggested, already pushing Sasuke in the direction of her house. The youngest stiffened, afraid that Sakura had asked for him personally so she could yell at him again. She couldn't be very pleased with him at the moment. Feeling miserable, Sasuke shrugged off his brother with the excuse that Tsunade wanted to see him, and trudged over to the pink-haired woman on his own.

He didn't bother knocking, just entered her house uninvited.

He found her in the living room, bent over a framed family picture standing on a small coffee table. Sasuke had kind of expected pink when he had first visited, but he had been met with much of the same colours and interior he had found in Kakashi's home. It was sad to confirm that Naruto really was the only exception in the entire village when it came to living conditions. Not that blonde had lived in a directly unhealthy environment, but it was so tiny compared to everyone else's. Sasuke was silently livid on the blonde's behalf.

"We'll be fine, you know." Sakura said with conviction, looking at him over her shoulder.

Sasuke jumped. "I thought-"

"I'm not mad at you," she cut him off reassuringly. "I'm not happy either," she muttered, "but that has nothing to do with you. I meant what I said, that we should open our borders and everything. I just didn't want it to happen like this." She turned and came over to him, eyes a little misty, but with a firm expression on her face. "My parents have always lived in Tsuyu. They're not assassins. I was hoping they would be able to die here as well, just to make it easier for them. They're taking the news better than I had expected."

"Sakura, I'm sorry." He said it because he felt like it was the proper thing to do, and because he meant it like he had never meant it before.

"Nonsense. You haven't done anything wrong," she denied kindly, giving his cheek a pinch for his meek protests. "Now, go find your Bonded and leave the packing to us," she ordered, shooing him out the door.

Sasuke stepped into the streets again, most of the people had gathered outside with their meagre belongings. From what Sasuke could gather from their never-ending gossip, the plan was to move the villagers in groups of ten to fifteen people. While the caves were strong, the weak air draft was noticeable in the deeper caves and made breathing laboured. That's why they were dividing the people to prevent them from losing the group or having trouble breathing.

The raven must have looked rather befuddled where he stood in the middle of the street, looking around to see if someone could use his assistance. The villagers were doing a magnificent job in helping each other out, which left Sasuke feeling rather superfluous, like dead weight. Everyone else seemed busy with something, and while the atmosphere was sober, it was no longer gloomy. Since Naruto was on an errand and Sasuke didn't know when he'd be back, the raven figured he could offer Kakashi some extra muscle, for what it was worth.

The man didn't look like the type to particularly care if his house went under, but Sasuke could at least help him stow away what he wanted to take with him. The raven strongly suspected the bare necessities of Kakashi could be boiled down to the orange book he always carried on his person, and Iruka. He wasn't going to touch the book with a ten-foot pole. The reason Sasuke wanted to offer help was because he hoped to stumble across pictures of a younger Naruto; maybe he would be lucky enough to find baby pictures.

However, Sasuke had barely crossed Kakashi's threshold when something blonde, bouncy and extremely clingy attached itself around his waist, carefully enough to not jar him too much, and forced the raven into the closest bedroom. Naruto looked rather good for someone who had to just lost his home, and Sasuke was kind of pleased to think that he was the sole reason for the blonde's ability to disregard that particular factor. He liked to think he had Naruto all figured out now, that he was a Naruto-pedia, but he had never seen the blonde so devious before. Sasuke was sure he was in for a surprise.

"Come sit," the blonde urged as he patted the bed. Sasuke tilted his head, but complied with the his wishes. However, Naruto had obviously not wanted Sasuke to take it so literally, because he had barely touched the fabric before the blonde took him around the waist and dropped him in his lap instead. Sasuke watched him warmly, running a hand through golden locks with a content sigh. He liked this side of Naruto. The one that made the blonde treasure every moment with him, and also made sure Sasuke knew it through his small gestures of pure adoration.

Naruto lowered his head to rest his forehead on Sasuke's shoulder. "I can't believe you're still here... with me," he whispered, sounding vulnerable.

Sasuke put a comforting hand on his partner's shoulder and smiled fondly. "We've had some good times too," he said teasingly, as if it explained everything.

"I have something for you." Naruto blinked as if he suddenly remembered, scrambling with something in his utility belt. "Here," he offered.

It was a kunai. Sasuke wasn't really all the impressed. He had plenty of weapons at home. Naruto seemed to sense his lukewarm enthusiasm because he took the gift and shoved the weapon right under his nose for closer inspection. Now that he got to eye it thoroughly, Sasuke was certain he was holding a kunai that belonged to the pair he had seen at the weaponry store when Naruto had showed him the village for the first time.

It looked even more beautiful up-close. And there, in the middle of all the beautiful silver linings, was one single word etched into the metal.

"_Hateshinai_?" Sasuke read and looked up. "Why?"

"I come from a village of assassins." Naruto explained. "If everyone walked around wearing wedding rings, we would be flaunting our greatest weakness for all to see. Instead, a bonded couple owns a kunai that matches each other. After all, there is nothing special about an armed assassin."

"Thank you." Sasuke said earnestly, touched by Naruto's actions and in awe by the beautifully carved word.

"Tsunade fixed my salary. And she gave me the biggest bonus I've ever seen." Naruto explained hastily before Sasuke could even ask himself how the blonde could have afforded it. The raven eyed his Bonded through mirthful eyes, wondering why Naruto had even felt the need to explain. Sasuke trusted the blonde infinitely, and he loved him just as much. He didn't even care if his emotions stemmed from the bond or not, because it was more than real enough to him.

"Good for you." Sasuke replied, taking Naruto's hand in his and pulled him up to stand with him. "So, ready to go home?"

"Home...?" the blonde repeated slowly. "Sounds nice," he admitted timidly.

Sasuke smiled; a brilliantly dashing and carefree smile that caused Naruto's heart to miss a beat. The raven laughed at his astonished expression and pulled the blonde closer. He had to stand on his toes to reach the surprised lips of his bond mate, but Sasuke didn't mind as long as he could revel in this moment forever. Naruto managed to get coherent enough to snake his arms around Sasuke's waist, giving him a possessive squeeze as the raven traced his bottom lip yearningly with a teasing tongue.

Throwing caution to the wind, and completely disregarding the fact that Kakashi could very well be eavesdropping on them, Sasuke boldly pushed Naruto down on the bed and let his hands explore freely. He was going to prove to Naruto once and for all that they were in this together, and he was more than willing, and maybe even begging. Home completely forgotten, Sasuke lovingly traced the skin on Naruto's stomach. He was going to ensure that his blonde lover discarded all the fishy notions in his head. The ones that made Naruto insecure, worried or sad and that ultimately made Naruto doubt him.

While Sasuke had been egging himself on, the blonde had managed to gather enough brain cells to realise he was going to get laid. Sasuke commended him for that. The blonde smiled wickedly at him, and the Uchiha thought he might be mocking him… In a very sensual way, mind you, because it went straight to his groin. Naruto quickly took charge as he forced Sasuke out of his garments, and Sasuke faintly wondered if any of them had locked the door.

"_I hope the walls are soundproof, 'cause it's gonna get loud."_ Sasuke thought impishly as he arched into Naruto's skilful touch.

"_For heaven's sake, kid! I told you not to broadcast!"_ Shisui shouted in his head, sounding absolutely mortified.

Sasuke stilled. He had forgotten he was still wearing the communication seal…

'_Damn.'_

* * *

_Quick dictionary__:_

_Kata: A Japanese word for describing detailed, choreographed patterns of movements. Copied from the English wiki._

_Hateshinai: Endless/Boundless/Everlasting_

(1) Think of the volume icon on the computer, except this one doesn't have sound waves coming out, so it's basically mute…

* * *

I wanted to update today because today is my name day and the International Women's Day (no, I'm not one of those extreme feminists), and it's exactly two years since I posted my first Naruto one-shot. Yes, I am a sentimental fool.

And I know Sasuke was way out of character, but I intend to redeem myself by making him completely badass in my next story. Just so you know.

For those of you who expected the broody, angst-filled reaction to Tsuyu's destruction, you'd have to read Sakura's point of view. Naruto is an assassin and Sasuke doesn't really care about Tsuyu as a village because of how they treated Naruto in the past. I thought it would be weird to suddenly have them bawling their eyes out. And the ending is a little abrupt perhaps, but I kind of like the whole new-beginning concept.

So I hereby declare this story finished!

Please review and give me a pat on the head? I like pats on the head!

P-Ys


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